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Blame Purell
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We are, they say, way more allergic now than people in Western societies used to be. Why? The theory is that we can blame bacteria, but not for causing the allergies. No, it's that we have less bacteria on us, and the bacteria protected us from allergies. They say that one example is how babies born by C-section are more likely to have asthma, and they postulate that it's because there's bacteria in the birth canal that those C-section births miss. Using antibiotics early on can lead to eczema later. And they note that people in less developed societies have a lot more bacteria on them yet way fewer allergies. Solution? They say we should all go outside more; the bacteria you pick up will be good for you. Although I go out running every day and still have allergies, in which case, Benadryl. (BBC)
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