I often joke that I should de-worm myself more often, but "my tapeworm keeps me skinny". Apparently it can also keep me healthy according to articles I have been reading on the "hygiene hypothesis".
In medicine, the hygiene hypothesis states that a lack of early childhood exposure to infectious agents, symbiotic microorganisms (e.g., gut flora or probiotics), and parasites increases susceptibility to allergic diseases by modulating immune system development. Scientists speculate that young children's habit of putting everything in their mouths (and I mean EVERYTHING, kids are gross) helps to stimulate their immune system, and thereby reduce the development of auto-immune disorders. Essentially what this means is that in a sterile environment where anti-bacterial soaps kill EVERYTHING, the immune system gets bored and decides to defend the body against itself...sometimes the immune system can be pretty dumb.
They've found that people in undeveloped countries where parasitism is more common, have fewer auto-immune disorders such as asthma and gut problems. Sure, they have all sorts of other issues related to parasites, but that's just because they aren't using the RIGHT ones. Helminthic therapy is the treatment of autoimmune diseases and immune disorders by means of deliberate infestation with a helminth (worm) or with the ova (egg) of a helminth. Helminthic therapy is currently being studied as a promising treatment for several (non-viral) autoimmune diseases including Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, asthma, and ulcerative colitis. Autoimmune liver disease has also been demonstrated to be modulated by active helminth infections.
Which is all pretty interesting really. I found a photo the other day which explains why I never had any problems with immune-mediated diseases.
As you can see, my mum was way ahead of the times. Thanks mum.
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