In The News
A little bit of dirt is surprisingly good for your health
Scientists have long known that a little dirt can be good for you. Research has suggested that people who grow up on farms, for instance, have lower rates of...
Infectious moods: The happiness injection
Down in the dumps? A shot of friendly bacteria could give you the boost you need
It was meant to be a new way to fight cancer. The idea was that injecting a certain...
Why dirt may be nature’s original stress-buster
Could exposure to microorganisms in the dirt somehow protect us from anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder? Could our increasingly sterile, urban environments be partly to blame for rising rates of stress-related...
Dirt has a microbiome, and it may double as an antidepressant
No one would blame you for not wanting your body to be infested with creatures from your garden. But maybe you should rethink your position.
Your garden has its own microbiome, and research suggests it’s good for you. Our health depends on...
Bacteria can make you happier AND smarter!
Mycobacterium vaccae bacteria are already known to decrease anxiety, but it might have even more dramatic properties. Recent studies on mice suggest the bacteria, commonly found in the soils of people's gardens, also increases intelligence and the ability to learn...
Bad is good
BACTERIA cause disease. The idea that they might also prevent disease is counterintuitive. Yet that is the hypothesis Chris Lowry, of Bristol University, and his colleagues are putting forward in Neuroscience. They think a particular sort of bacterium might alleviate clinical depression...
