I have boys. I spend A LOT of time talking about snots, wiping snots (sometimes off walls), and asking them not to pick their noses. Sometimes, I also have to ask them not to eat what they've picked...
Well, it turns out that maybe I should just let them go ahead and do their thing. Why? Because a
new study from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has revealed that nasal mucous is high in good bacteria that can actually strengthen the immune system.
The researchers also found that snot stops cavity-causing bacteria from sticking to teeth, safeguarding against respiratory infections, stomach ulcers, and even HIV.
Hmm, we're not entirely convinced but Professor Friedrich Bischinger, an Austrian lung specialist, told the
Daily Mail the disgusting habit beloved by children is all good:
"Eating the dry remains of what you pull out is a great way of strengthening the body’s immune system. Medically it makes great sense and is a perfectly natural thing to do.
In terms of the immune system, the nose is a filter in which a great deal of bacteria are collected, and when this mixture arrives in the intestines it works just like a medicine."
But wait, there's good news for those of us who aren't fans of snot-swallowing... The team of researchers are now working on a "synthetic mucous toothpaste" and chewing gum that will imitate the bogey-benefits.
Bleurrghhh. Excuse us.
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