Clean living could be making people sicker
Published: March 4, 2008 at 9:12 PM
WASHINGTON, March 4 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say modern living appears to be leading to an increase in allergies and immune system diseases.
The Washington Post said many allergies and immune-system diseases have doubled and even quadrupled in the last few decades, with more than half of the U.S. population reporting an allergy.
The increases show up mainly in highly developed countries, researchers said. One theory, known as the hygiene hypothesis, blames increased allergies on cleaner homes, increased air pollution and changes in diet. Obesity and lack of exercise may also play a role.
In an effort to counteract the effects of modern living, some scientists are feeding high-risk children small amounts of allergy-inducing foods to train the immune system not to overreact, the newspaper said. A University of Iowa researcher is treating patients with multiple sclerosis and colitis with parasitic worms.
"If you look at the incidence of these diseases, a lot of them began to emerge and become much more common after parasitic worm diseases were eliminated from our environment," Robert Summers told the Post. "We believe they have a profound symbiotic effect on developing and maintaining the immune system."
The Washington Post said many allergies and immune-system diseases have doubled and even quadrupled in the last few decades, with more than half of the U.S. population reporting an allergy.
The increases show up mainly in highly developed countries, researchers said. One theory, known as the hygiene hypothesis, blames increased allergies on cleaner homes, increased air pollution and changes in diet. Obesity and lack of exercise may also play a role.
In an effort to counteract the effects of modern living, some scientists are feeding high-risk children small amounts of allergy-inducing foods to train the immune system not to overreact, the newspaper said. A University of Iowa researcher is treating patients with multiple sclerosis and colitis with parasitic worms.
"If you look at the incidence of these diseases, a lot of them began to emerge and become much more common after parasitic worm diseases were eliminated from our environment," Robert Summers told the Post. "We believe they have a profound symbiotic effect on developing and maintaining the immune system."
© 2008 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
» Next in Science:
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
This undated NASA image shows two galaxies that are slowly colliding and possibly, in hundreds of millions of years, only one galaxy will remain. Although it is likely that no stars in the two galaxies will directly collide, the gas, dust and ambient magnetic fields do interact directly. These galaxies, part of the vast Hydra-Centaurus supercluster of galaxies, spans over 100 thousand light-years across and is located about 100 million light-years away. (UPI Photo/NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage)
NASA image shows galaxies that will slowly collide
Full Photo
| Slideshow
Latest Headlines
Most Popular