Dirt can make us feel good!

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Dirt exposure 'boosts happiness'

Exposure to dirt may be a way to lift mood as well as boost the immune system, UK scientists say.

Lung cancer patients treated with "friendly" bacteria normally found in the soil have anecdotally reported improvements in their quality of life.

Mice exposed to the same bacteria made more of the brain's "happy" chemical serotonin, the Bristol University authors told the journal Neuroscience.

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I love stories like this one.


[edit on 9-4-2007 by loam]

I have a sister that used to eat dirt by the spoon fulls. My mother took her to the doctor because she thought something was wrong with her. The doctor told her that dirt wouldn't hurt her as long as she didn't try to choke down any rocks or anything.

Garden work-really really good for you. You get the dirt, the sunlight, the fresh air, if I were a doctor I would prescribe it.

Did I mention the exercise?

Nature has it's healthy&dirty ways

I knew it!

Great find.


PS. Having great fun playing in the dirt in my gardens.

PPS. I found some bat#, will let you know if the gardens take off with it.

PPPS. Thanks - this fits with my role-microbes-play-in-evolution hypothesis. (Just not quite sure how yet - but it has something to do with balance, and restablishing dominance of 'familiar' microbes.)




[edit on 22-4-2007 by soficrow]

Ah ha I always knew digging in the dirt was good for me. I love gardening and making pretty pretty flowers grow. Nice to hear doctors finally figured it out.