I’ve often heard some version of the suggestion that “kids should eat a pound of dirt by the time they’re 5,” to have healthy immune systems. The suggestion, as I’ve always understood it, is that kids should spend a lot of time outside, eating dirt incidentally from constantly being in nature, having dirty hands and dirt under their nails, tripping and falling in the dirt, breathing dirt kicked up while running around and rough housing, etc. Getting micro-exposure to lots of germs early through play to built up a strong immune response. I’ve never understood it to mean literal dirt eating, but now I wonder if that might be the origin.
I’ve often heard some version of the suggestion that “kids should eat a pound of dirt by the time they’re 5,” to have healthy immune systems. The suggestion, as I’ve always understood it, is that kids should spend a lot of time outside, eating dirt incidentally from constantly being in nature, having dirty hands and dirt under their nails, tripping and falling in the dirt, breathing dirt kicked up while running around and rough housing, etc. Getting micro-exposure to lots of germs early through play to built up a strong immune response. I’ve never understood it to mean literal dirt eating, but now I wonder if that might be the origin.
Thank you that makes more sense, the title I took to be incorrect. When I work outside I often get dirt in my mucus when I blow my nose.