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We all need to get down and dirty occasionally–especially when we’re kids. Exposure to the bacteria in soil is a major factor in creating our immune systems. In fact, one of the causes of childhood asthma, which is rampant in big cities, is that kids don’t get DIRTY anymore.

In LiveScience.com, Ker Than reports that when researchers exposed mice to a common harmless microbe that’s found in soil, it improved their ability to cope, meaning that soil bacteria might also be an effective antidepressant. Than quotes researcher Chris Lowry as saying, "[These studies] leave us wondering if we shouldn?t all be spending more time playing in the dirt."

Art credit: freeimages.co.uk
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