Is Being Too Clean Bad?

By Chetali Jain

Never in history have allergy labeling and warnings been such a concern as they have become in recent decades. The increasingly sterilized world, while protecting against communicable diseases, is causing our immune system (in grossly simplified terms) to become bored and begin attacking non-threatening substances. 

Thus, autoimmune disorders are born. Autoimmune disorders occur when the body’s immune system begins attacking things that are normally non-antigenic. Allergies are one such example of this where a substance is considered a threat and the body’s immune system becomes activated in response. 

The rising number of peanut allergies, for instance, in America is indicative of increased sterilization and usage of chemical pesticides in all our foods. The body no longer differentiates between enemy and friend and therefore begins to attack whatever foreign invader it comes across. 

So is the solution for everybody to stop washing their hands and eating food off the ground? No, but we should be mindful of our everyday habits. Instead of staying cooped up inside with our vast array of technological devices, we should spend an hour or two in the sun, biking through the woods, etc. These activities build our immunity to actual dangers. 

Additionally, we should be aware of where our food comes from. Foods treated with pesticides are especially harmful because of the chemical residue they leave behind in our body. According to PAN North America, 93% of Americans tested by the CDC had metabolites of chlorpyrifos — a nuerotoxic insectide — in their urine. Banned from home use because of its risks to children, chlorpyrifos is part of a family of pesticides (organophosphates) linked to ADHD. 

This shocking fact indicates that chemical pesticides are associated with detrimental effects on the human body. It is important to be mindful of how our bodies respond to our environment and act accordingly. By boosting your immune system you are eliminating a host of possible health issues that arise because of it.



Source:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA401228/Why-Do-Rich-Kids-Have-More-Peanut-Allergies.html

www.panna.org/issues/food-agriculture/pesticides-on-food

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