This is why you should NOT stop your kids from nose-picking as it can be good for their health, according to new research findings.
A study, published in the American Society for Microbiology, has revealed that people who pick their noses are healthier, which may be a good reason for kids to continue doing the disgusting habit.
Austrian lung specialist Professor Friedrich Bischinger said that there are even more healthy benefits in EATING nasal mucus.
“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,” he said.
Scientists from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology discovered that there is a reservoir of ‘good’ bacteria in nasal mucus that prevents cavity-causing bacteria from sticking to teeth.
They also found that snot could defend against respiratory infections, stomach ulcers and even HIV.
Kidspot reported that the researchers are now working on a synthetic mucus toothpaste to harvest snot’s dental benefits, and bogie-inspired chewing gums are in the works.
This builds on previous research that say being hygienic has led to an increase in allergies and autoimmune disorders, such as arthritis.
Dr Scott Napper, professor of biochemistry at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, said:
“Nature pushes us to do different things because it is to our advantage to have certain behaviours, to consume different types of foods.
“So maybe when you have an urge to pick your nose and eat it, you should just go with nature.
“From an evolutionary perspective, we evolved under very dirty conditions and maybe this desire to keep our environment and our behaviours sterile isn’t actually working to our advantage,” CBC News reported.
Source: Dailymail.co.uk
