Farm Animals Prevent Asthma & Allergy in Children
Channel: Proven Health Benefits - Healthy with Science
Date: 2015-05-28

In this presentation on how asthma and allergy are prevented in children living on farms Erika Mutinus from Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich talks about how microbial exposure protects children and helps build a healthy immune system.

She also discusses the statistics showing how the occurrence of asthma and allergies among farm and non-farm children greatly differ. Erika points out that it is the huge diversity of microbes that provides the protection. Different stains of yeasts, fungi, phages, viruses and bacteria are all in play.

Even the infection rate is greatly differentiated and the occurrence of rhinitis and otitis in the first year of life also seems to correspond to what type of milk is consumed. Comparing raw farm milk, boiled farm milk, pasteurized milk, and UHT milk, it is the raw farm milk that clearly boost the immune system and gives the best protection. In milk they have ruled out microbes and suspect that the heat may destroy proteins beneficial for the immune system function.