Caution: Killing Germs May Be Hazardous to Your Health

My only problem with this article is that the title implies that this is news. Anyone who has logical reasoning and does not have OCD would know that germs are not necessarily bad for you. Yes, some of them are. But if you are exposed to germs properly, you will have a much better immune system than people who constantly disinfect everything. Growing up, my house was always clean but not germ free and I haven't been sick since I was very young. I honestly have to blame all the cleaning companies who jumped on the "germs are bad" bandwagon and made every cleaning product under the sun to get rid of bacteria. While I do feel that several parents are too protective about their children getting germs, I would not blame them. There are so many advertisements saying that germs are bad. What about the commercial that says "even when someone in the house isn't sick, bacteria is still being transferred" with all the gross squiggly "germs" spreading all over everything? That commercial is almost gross enough to make me want to go disinfect everything. But guess what, this article is correct! We need bacteria to stay healthy and this is not something that was just discovered.

Never mind the content, which is excellent, this is an unusually well-written article, for which the authors deserve high praise..

JBrandeisS@msn.com

I have been trying to tell people this for years! Back in school, I was the only one never sick (and essentially still am- maybe a cold a year). Do I use sanitizers? NO! I was a college student- do you think my place was disinfected? Ha, yeah right (maybe where the beer or random shot was spilled). You have to let your body build its immune system, just like you would if you were lifting weights. You don't automatically think you can lift 400 lbs. from the get go there, so why would you think if you keep all the little things away your body will be able to handle a serious threat?

It was a good article, and the first that I have read that backs up what I have always said, " If you kill all the germies in and around you...how do expect your body to fight off the bad ones?" I was raised a country girl! Played in the trees, fields, grasses, ponds and with all of the animals. I licked the salt blocks left for the neighbors cows, drank out of the trough where our horses drank and ate my sandwich sitting on the low rail in side our pig pen. I never missed a day of school due to illness. EVER! I have never had the flu! EVER! I have two colds a year. One when the season changes in the fall and the second in the spring when it changes again (heck, could be allergies). You may think its gross, but I still do not wash my hands after I use the rest room. (My mother taught me to pee in the toilet, not on my hands!!!!!). Why would I? If I do, do you think I have made myself sterile in a public restroom? As soon as the soap has rinsed away, and I dry them....guess what? A million germs have just settled back on them. Warm and still slightly damp from washing, what a perfect place for germs to grow. Everything you touch, every where you breath and everything you eat and drink has some form of germ or bacteria. I for one am a clean person. I harbor no serious health threat to you or your children. On the contrary, you are probably carrying or harboring for more bad stuff because you have killed all the good. I have never bought one of the gel sanitizers...never will. I laugh at people that i see wiping down handles and shopping carts and walk away, shaking my head and thinking you are nuts if you think you are protecting yourself or your kids by sanitizing yours every time you around people (or animals). Get a grip, people! Don't let the government turn you into an idiot so they can sell you so stupid product. Use your common sense....ya know, the brain inside your pretty little heads. Obviously, if you have a cold...stay home, I don't want it. If you have a disease (cancer, COPD, and the such) take care and cover your mouth and nose, I don't want to risk weakening your already delicate immune system. My kids are healthy (thank goodness) I don't swipe them down. I allow the germs to live because most of them protect them for the really bad ones. Thanks for letting me have my say.

what r u a racist?