They aren’t the most pleasant things to think about, but parasitic worms could help our bodies fend off autoimmune conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) – a condition that affects around 1.4 million Americans. A new study suggests that some strategically placed worms could change the balance of bacteria inside our gut, overpowering the harmful species that cause inflammation.
It’s further evidence for the idea that too much sterility and cleanliness could actually be bad for us. According to the hygiene hypothesis, which was first proposed in 1989, a limited amount of exposure to germs is beneficial to our immune systems, and can help us to fight off serious diseases. Parastic worms might just be the next logical step.
From our very good friends over at sciencealert.com