Why dirt is good for plants, and people

Epidemiologist David Strachan of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine coined the term ‘the hygiene hypothesis’ after noticing that children with a large number of siblings and who were exposed to greater amounts of dirt, animals, bacteria and infections tended to have a lower incidence of eczema. 
Strachan came to believe that early exposure to infections enabled the young immune system to flex its muscles, and subsequently develop greater strength to fight off diseases as the child grew older. 
Children exposed to more dirt, dust and animals and less constant hand washing and bacterial ‘decontamination’ also experienced fewer allergies, while children who are vaccinated against certain illnesses or given frequent antibiotics are more likely to be allergic or suffer from immune system disorders. 
In fact, exposure to a wide variety of infections early on in a child’s life appears to act as a powerful kick-start to the immune system, ultimately creating a robust defense system against disease. 
The Barcelona research suggests the plants also need to avoid excessive ‘hygiene’ in the form of challenges to their survival. It may be that living organisms attain full health and the ability to prevent disease only by being repeatedly challenged early on. 
By preempting that process whether through excessive washing or pesticides, we are inadvertently interfering with and possibly destroying good health. 



Why stress (in plants) is good for you

Recently, Stanford University in California published a review pouring water on the idea that organic food is better for you. “There isn’t much difference between organic and conventional foods,” announced Dana Bravada, one of the report’s authors, going by their findings comparing the nutritional content of organic and non-organic food. 
The University of Barcelona begs to differ. New research conducted by the university shows that organic tomatoes contain higher levels of antioxidants than those grown with pesticides – and one reason, say the Spanish researchers, has to do with the ‘secret life’ of plants.
The quality of plant’s nutritional content is deeply connected with the development of the plant’s ‘immune system’. Without pesticides and nitrogenous fertilizers, plants have to mobilize their own defense mechanisms and, when activated, these defense systems increase their levels of all phenolic compounds. 
It is these compounds that ultimately raise the antioxidant content of the plant. “The more stress plants suffer, the more polyphenols they produce,” says Rose Lamuela, the head study researcher. 

All information regarding this post was obtained from the October 2013 issue of 'What Doctors Don't Tell You'.