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too clean?
Some experts claim our obsession with cleanliness may be linked to an increase in allergic diseases. So how much germ protection do we need, asks Bonnie Vaughan
ARE WE
ith all the products on the market that promise to liberate us from the tyranny of germs, you would think our lives were under serious daily threat. Thanks to a staggering choice, we can arm ourselves with soaps, detergents, hand gels, toilet cleaners, air fresheners, surface sprays and wipes, bin liners, mouthwashes, toothpastes, cutting boards and toys that pledge to kill 99.9 per cent of harmful bacteria before it kills us. In the 21st century, it seems the simple act of combining soap, water and a little commonsense doesnt cut it anymore. But should it? As our obsession with ber-cleanliness has gained momentum over the last century, so has the number of autoimmune and allergic diseases. And many experts suspect this is no coincidence.
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is absolutely pivotal to our overall health. There are no definitive conclusions yet on which bacteria are good, which are bad, or even where the safe-to-harmful threshold of exposure may lie. Researchers are still trying to figure that out including Barbara Fazekas de St groth, professor of immunology at Sydneys centenary institute. What we do know, she says, is that we and our gut bacteria have co-evolved to get the best possible outcome for all concerned. Theyre giving our immune system all kinds of info all the time, and we think that there is a normal flora that makes you healthy and which needs to be transmitted from person to person at birth and within the first couple of years of life.
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influenza and the common cold, are viral, and antibiotics do not kill viruses theyre effective only against bacteria. We shouldnt be using penicillin or derivatives to treat viral infections. All youre doing is altering your normal flora and breeding resistant bugs. Even if we avoid prescription antibiotics, we may still be ingesting them without even realising it. The Australian government exercises strict regulatory controls aimed at ensuring responsible antibiotic use in local animal-based food productionindustries.Thebiggerconcernisimportedseafood. Earlier this year, reports surfaced that the number of Asian fish
imports containing banned antibiotics is rising due to low levels of testing by the federal department. i would not eat any imported food meat, fish or vegetable. lET youR kiDS gET A liTTlE DiRTy i think its very important that children are exposed to a degree of microbial agents in the environment. Just make sure they wash their hands before eating. The most important thing is the removal of surface matter. if theyve been using the sandpit and you know the cat hasnt been using it as well, its probably not even necessary to do that.