Breathing soil bacteria makes you smarter
Scientists have observed that ingesting or breathing in a common soil bacterium found in nature reduces anxiety and improves learning.
By Bryan NelsonTue, May 25 2010 at 5:17 AM EST
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Photo: Shawn Perez/Flickr Spending time outdoors has always offered health benefits for the body and the mind: fresh air, clean water, awe-inspiring vistas, peaceful quietude. Now, it turns out, even the dirt is good for you.
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Scientists at the Sage Colleges of Troy, N.Y., have discovered that exposure to certain kinds of soil bacteria can reduce anxiety and increase learning capabilities when ingested or inhaled, reports Physorg.com. Hippies everywhere can rejoice: dirt may actually make you smarter.
The amazing bacterium in question is Mycobacterium vaccae, which occurs naturally in soil and is often breathed in innocuously when people spend time in nature. Previous studies had revealed that when the bacteria is injected into mice, it stimulates neuron growth and causes serotonin levels to increase. Because increased serotonin levels are known to decrease anxiety, researchers already suspected that the bacteria could have antidepressant benefits.
But decreased anxiety isn't the only effect of increased serotonin, and researchers wanted to investigate further. "Since serotonin plays a role in learning, we wondered if live M. vaccae could improve learning in mice," said Dorothy Matthews, who conducted the research.
After feeding the live bacteria to a group of mice, Matthews and her colleague Susan Jenks subjected the mice to a test of wits with a control group by having them run a maze.
"We found that mice that were fed live M. vaccae navigated the maze twice as fast and with less demonstrated anxiety behaviors as control mice," said Matthews.
Two subsequent experiments revealed that the mice fed the bacteria still ran the maze slightly faster than the control group once the bacteria was withheld from their diet, but the effect did not last for long — meaning the effect was a result of the presence of M. vaccae. If the bacteria had a similar effect on humans, it could mean that spending periods of time outdoors would need to be part of a regular routine for maximum neurological benefit.
"It is interesting to speculate that creating learning environments in schools that include time in the outdoors where M. vaccae is present may decrease anxiety and improve the ability to learn new tasks," noted Matthews.
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Comments
Danny c
06/30/2010 04:46 AM
Sounds great - I have always said muck was good for you! Many holistic health professionals advocate probiotics or friendly bacteria for a number of health issues, which isn't much different than getting bacteria from soil, although you don't have to worry about other contaminants.
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Phil E. Drifter
06/22/2010 06:06 AM
So THAT'S why my brother made me eat dirt when I was 5!
estaples
06/03/2010 18:01 PM
that's what I like to hear. Soon we'll see dirt bars instead of those trendy oxygen bars.
Suzanne
06/02/2010 22:31 PM
Here's another reason to ditch the "antibacterial" soap!
MurrayC
05/28/2010 14:39 PM
...then why couldn't the North American Natives prevent the Europeans from invading, or Africans from becoming slaves? These two groups of people lived off the earth while the "master race" was perfecting guns and sailing ships.
Michael
01/20/2011 15:48 PM
The reason why the natives were not smarter is because the natives still ate dirt back then I reckon. they didn't have computers and tv's then. they spent a lot more time outside breathing it in and getting dirty and stuff. plus, they had guns. put a dumb person with a gun against a smart person with some other primitive weapon and the dumb person has an advantage.
Jason
06/22/2010 01:23 AM
well they need a lot more help getting smarter just dirt isnt going to cut it
Guest
06/10/2010 16:42 PM
Does creating weapons really mean the Europeans were smarter? Did living off of the land and making earth and nature a priority really mean the natives were less smart? It think it's a matter of priority, not intelligence.
adamdidit2u
05/28/2010 16:12 PM
Try picking up a book, like "Guns, Germs and Steel" or "Ecological Imperialism" and you'll see that Europeans lucked out geographically. Nearly all of the domesticated animals and storable food crops such as wheat originated in the Middle East (which has an easy and historical land route to Europe) or in Europe itself. The abundance of crops allowed more people to dedicate their lives to science and art (hence the inventions of steel, gunpowder etc.) instead of farming or in the Native.... More
Gwyn
05/28/2010 13:10 PM
Sounds great - I have always said muck was good for you! However, as a gardener I should be a calm genius so how come I'm a panicky idiot?
Deborah
06/08/2011 23:30 PM
If you want the benefits of increased serotonin, try taking 5-HTP. Nature's Way is a good brand. You can get it at any Whole Foods or Wild Oats. It's not safe to take if you are on any medications like prosac, zoloft, celexa, etc. Google it to find out more. After 12 years of PTSD and being on every pharmaceutical imaginable, I got off of everything and then found out about 5-HTP. No more anxiety or insomnia or depression. You only have to take 50mg a night before bed (no alcohol).... More
Chevy Monster
05/28/2010 11:25 AM
... and have rarely been sick ever and smart as a whip, so's to speak.
Jason
06/22/2010 01:52 AM
isnt it only in certain dirt I mean likely the dirt you ate didnt have the correct bacteria lmao
The Dude
05/28/2010 13:20 PM
Because your comment makes no sense.
Ryan
05/28/2010 10:48 AM
Many holistic health professionals advocate probiotics or friendly bacteria for a number of health issues, which isn't much different than getting bacteria from soil, although you don't have to worry about other contaminants.
Ken
05/28/2010 10:18 AM
Another angle on "Nature Deficit Disorder".
Video games really do make kids dumber, but for a weird- *** reason, eh?
Zaza
05/28/2010 09:06 AM
We are going to have to pay for dirt.
Guest
05/28/2010 08:45 AM
How do they know the mice that were fed the dirt weren't just in a major hurry to find a bathroom?
zcarinsurance.com
05/28/2010 08:19 AM
how long before they start selling this as a product
