Finnish studies have found that a strong connection with nature protects children from allergies and immune-mediated diseases. Living in current urban environments, children no longer have as much important contact with nature’s beneficial microbes as they had just a few generations ago. Discover how to strengthen the connection between nature and your child’s microbiome from the earliest years of life.
In the 80s and 90s, we were taught that cleanliness and hygiene are the basis of health. But now it seems that an overly sterile environment makes children more susceptible to allergies and inflammatory diseases. In Finnish university research, for example, microbes in cattle farms and forest soil have been shown to strengthen the human connection to nature and immune defence. With sufficient contact in early childhood with immune-boosting microbes through the skin, gut and respiratory tract, allergies, diabetes and various intestinal diseases are less likely to break out.
How do the microbes in the environment communicate with us?
Immune receptors (TLRs) in the human skin and mucous membranes gather information about the environment by recognising the protein structures of microbes and signal the immune system how to act in each environment. When a child’s skin and mucous membranes are in constant contact with harmless microbes living in the natural environment, the immune defence system learns to correctly identify different things and to distinguish real threats from, for example, pollen or the body’s own cells. If important contact with protective microbes is missing, the immune defence system starts to fight the wrong things by recognising them as a threat. This is how an allergy to pollen, animals or other immune-mediated diseases develops. Because the skin is an important sensing tissue for the immune defence, it is also important to make choices in your child’s skin care that support the skin’s microbiota.
If important contact with protective microbes is missing, the immune defence system starts to fight the wrong things by recognising them as a threat.
Easy tips to support the connection with nature and the skin microbiome.
- Avoid strong detergents on the skin and in the laundry. A simple wash with water is often sufficient for a child’s skin. For laundry, you may prefer to use, for example, raffia nuts.
- Take your child to the forest and small animal farms whenever possible. This will give your child contact with good microbes, while also enjoying the other benefits of being in nature. A dog as a pet also brings beneficial microbes into the home.
- If possible, grow your own plants or vegetables and let your toddler join you in the gardening activities.
- Indulge in gentle natural cosmetics on your own and your child’s skin. Check out Moi Forest products, for example, which have been infused with a microbiome extract developed by Finnish universities to support the skin’s microbiome and strengthen the connection with nature.
The author of the article is Maria Varon, mother of three and expert in holistic skincare. Maria is also the product designer of the Moi Forest range.
Read more about the benefits of connectivity and the biodiversity hypothesis: https://www.duodecimlehti.fi/duo13480
