Why do children have more allergies now than before?

image source, John Gartner

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Allergens are all around us, but some of us are more susceptible to their effects.

Key word: bacteria. We are all covered from head to toe with them. And increasingly, scientists are convinced that these microorganisms are critical to understanding why allergies are becoming more common among children, especially in the developed world.

The bacteria that coat our skin, settle in our mouths, and live in our intestines not only outnumber our own cells by a ratio of ten to one, but play a crucial role in training our immune systems.

And changes in lifestyle, ranging from the increase in cesarean deliveries to the excessive use of antibiotics and a sedentary lifestyle, are contributing to the reduction of these “friendly” microorganisms, resulting in an increase in allergies.

In the UK alone, one in three people suffers from some type of allergy.

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