Can Germs Prevent Arthritis
Being super-clean is super-trendy, but experts say a little “dirt” can actually do a body good.
Like children who get into trouble when they have too much time on their hands, an unchallenged immune system easily becomes bored and seeks out mischief, according to a theory gaining increased respect from researchers who study our body’s natural defense system. The theory suggests that by protecting ourselves and our children from germs, we’re making life too easy for our immune systems and possibly setting ourselves up for serious health problems down the road. This “cleanliness theory” proposes that without germs to go after, the immune system may instead attack components of the very body it’s supposed to protect. The result can be autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus, multiple sclerosis (MS) or type 1 diabetes.
Ironically, support for this theory comes at a time when there is increasing evidence germs can trigger autoimmune diseases. For example, a recent study by researchers at Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City helped confirm a long-suspected connection between the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the development of lupus. Using blood samples taken periodically from United States military recruits who developed lupus later in life, the researchers identified the point at which those with lupus began to produce the self-destructive antibodies that targeted and damaged their own tissues. For many of them, the scientists found, the initial point was when they were infected with EBV.
So what’s a health-conscious person to do – steer clear of germs or let nature take its course?
Over the past century, improved personal hygiene and hospital sterilization practices have saved countless lives by preventing the spread of infection, and a number of devastating diseases have been eradicated – all landmarks of medical advancement. Yet the prevalence of autoimmune diseases has been rising even as the evidence of infectious diseases has gone down – a phenomenon that some researchers say supports the cleanliness theory.
