What a ridiculous article. Surprised the times gave it space.

Thanks, Henry, fascinating idea.

I don't think it's ridiculous at all. Being outside and working in the soil is very stress relieving for me. It's fresh air and exercise, good things for you!

I agree.

This idea has been floated around before. I think it's very interesting. The title of the article is perhaps a little overreaching, but the ideas are thought provoking. I went outside today, and I felt better. Who is to say whether it was the fresh air, the breeze, the sunshine, the ion charge of the plants, the soil microbes, or my spiritual connection to God's creation? Maybe all of these things are woven together in a complex system we cannot fully understand.

Yes, fresh air, activity , etc. are wonderful things. I am so addicted to being in the dirt. However to link health to soil and it's contaminants is akin to going back to the dark ages. Yes, tetanus and typhus and the other soil elements from fecal deposits are just wonderful. Good health is based on hygiene, And a balance between what is found in nature and what is unfortunately altered by man. And Seil , fresh air, stress reduction, etc., we're not the point of the article.

Some have to last word EVERY one on this forum. Disagree, rehash, restate. Unless you know microbiology, immunology, human physiology, and epidemiology , maybe you should stick to what you know.

This post was edited by susan4952 on Tue, Sep 2, 14 at 10:05

If one puts the names of the 2 professors into Google Scholar the following link leads you to the results:

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22christopher+lowry%22+%22Graham+Rook%22&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C36

Not all of the hits are reviewed, published scientific papers that were authored by the above. Some are papers that cited their papers.

One of the great contributions of Google Scholar is that it includes for each paper a link to which papers have cited that particular paper. One can look at these to see what other professionals have to say about the published paper.

Here is a link that might be useful: link for above search

Thank you Henry for posting it. Being outside and working in the soil is was the authors final statement in the article. It's fresh air and exercise and being young, good things for you!

Good article and I agree that being outside and being young at heart keeps us happier and healthier. To me gardening is like exercising, your pulling weeds and bending over and pretty much using your whole body and I'm sure your body release the same endorphines it would if you were exercising and that always makes you feel good and have a better frame of mind. I have a high stress job in the healthcare profession and being outside digging in the dirt is always a stress reliever for me. I grew up hearing " A little dirt don't hurt" lol. Guess my granny knew what she was talking about. :)

Absolutely. No one ever disputes the fresh air, exercise, relaxation endorphin release. And stimulating the immune system is essential for health. Posting anecdotal research without the proper controls and clinical trials is as irresponsible as the vaccine debate in childhood illness. Still surprised the times gave it space.

This post was edited by susan4952 on Mon, Sep 1, 14 at 22:33

LMAO ROTF

I read recently about folks arguing about poop in a different thread on this forum.

BUT, somehow arguing about dirt is just as funny to me.

Especially since the disputed post is on a blog as the URL in the initial post reveals:

op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com

People can write in their blogs that roses should be sprayed with Round Up once a week if they want to. It's their blog! Blogs, in other words, aren't journalistically scrutinized publications - er, maybe they do get spiel checked.

I don't know.

Nonetheless, I think the "op-talk" part means it shouldn't be taken as more than opinion.

However, if I noticed correctly this blog post is by a woman who happens to be a staff editor of the NYT Blogs which may or may not add weight to her blog - journalistically speaking.

So as not to interrupt the argument, I just want to add that we down here in Florida know that it is wise to discriminate between dirt and dust - especially that Saharan dust.

That's right - discrimination.

Dirt may be good, but dust is really bad, awful, or maybe at least questionable!!!
LMAO

If anyone feels that the professors who did the research, the reviewers who examined the initial manuscript and possibly suggested changes and / or additional research, and the editor who approved the final publication form made judgment errors in the design, implementation, and / or interpretation of the research, he/she normally has the option of submitting a follow up letter to the editor. Normally the original authors are given the opportunity to publish a response to the critics letter.

Henry: Thank you for the article. Whatever the reason, I've always known that working in moist soil (mud when I was a kid) makes me happy.

Susan4952: Maybe you don't realize how attacking and hurtful your words sound, but it's hard to read them any other way.

Here is a link that might be useful: I didn't know roses were controversial

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/roses/msg0820114922330.html?42

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/roses/msg0820114922330.html?42

Whoa, Susan. Take a chill. There's no need to be nasty. You can disagree politely.

The whole point of this or any other forum is to discuss issues. If you don't want to read opposing opinions, feel free to move on.

I really have to agree with seil and say it makes a marked improvement on my mood , and lifts my spirits .
Also I cannot believe Susan , how absolutely rude and awful your comments toward seil are ! She has been a delightful helpful soul here , who did not deserve those words . I cannot believe anyone would think she has to have the last word . My gosh !! Are we not adults with manners ? This is very sad and unfortunate anyone would act like this on a garden forum of all places .

In the past few years, there have been many ideas coming forward that contradict our 'known' values. A famous one is that fat in the diet is bad for you. That theory has perhaps helped to cause our obesity epidemic as people replaced fat with sugar which turns us into weight gaining machines and causes diabetes.

The other is that cleanliness is best. Yes there are bad things in the soil like tetanus. So get a tetanus shot. However, being antiseptic in everything is actually harmful to you. The rates of asthma and other allergic reactions are now thought to be because we are not exposed to ENOUGH 'germs' or microbes, many of which are helpful to us. Children that grow up in rural areas, on farms, or with contact with animals at a young age show lesser incidents of asthma and other disorders of the immune system.

Just as there are microbes in the soil that help our plants, they can help us. This is why organically grown foods are better than those that use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The latter do nothing for the nutritional value of the food, they just increase the size (and usually the amount of sugar) in the food. Which is not what we really need.

Dust makes me sneeze... huh choooo!
Going out and playin in the dirt on the other-hand can be very relaxing...

I have been playing in the dirt all my life. While it has not saved me from asthma, allergies or, most recently, the tick-born red meat allergy, it has made me wildly happy, kept me grounded, brought me many friends, inspired my creative urges, and expanded my awareness and knowledge on many fronts.

I do wash my hands and face before preparing food and I keep my tetanus shots current. I also try to practice moderation in all things, common sense, and critical thinking applied to all sources of information, from sensational journalism to scientific journals.

The BBC published this article (Aug 28, 2014):

http://www.optibacprobiotics.co.uk/blog/2014/08/gut-bacteria-allergies-and-probiotics-on-bbcs-horizon

Here is a link that might be useful: link for above