Several studies have been conducted over the years looking at the prevalence of allergies in people that live in urban versus rural areas.  The focus of these studies has been on variations of environmental allergies.  Researchers have noted that people living in rural areas have fewer environmental allergies than people that live in urban, suburban and more populated areas.

Theories abound, from the early childhood exposure to bacteria found living in rural areas strengthens the immune system to pollutants in urban areas weakens the immune system.

However, the results of the only large scale study conducted in the United States of children’s food allergies as distributed by geographic location was just recently released.  It was no surprise that children in urban and more populated areas tended to have more food allergies than children that live in rural areas.  Of the food allergies reported, only milk and soy allergy showed no preference for city or country living.  Peanut and shellfish were the most widely reported and there are more food allergies in the southern population than the northern population. Although with the exception of Nevada, the states with the highest food allergies reported tended to be states with coastlines and it might be that these kids are more exposed to shellfish than kids in more interior states. 

You can read the entire study here at The Clinical Pediatrics Journal.  The researchers draw no conclusions based on the study, but one can’t help but wondering if a return to a more rural lifestyle would be healthier.  Now that doesn’t mean you have to sell the condo in the city and grab a cow and head for the country, but there is something to be said for letting the kids out more and encouraging them to dig in the dirt.

I encouraged my kids to garden with me when they were small.  They don’t have food allergies, and I don’t know that their lack of food allergy has any relationship to their digging in the dirt.  My hubby has food allergies and if there is a hole to be dug in the yard, he’s your man!  So, it can’t hurt to get out there and dig in the dirt and if you have pollen allergies, don’t let that stop you either.  Just grab the best mask for gardening…ever…the Q-Mask.  Wash your hands when you come inside.

Go have fun.

Til Next Time!

Cheryl
The Allergy Store