• May 3, 2024

The excessive hygiene or obsession with cleanliness could increase the chances of developing Alzheimer's, because this lifestyle leaves our immune system weak to fight against many germs, according to a study by the University of Cambrigde .

According to the researchers, the lack of contact with dirt in the form of bacteria and other infectious agents, due to a excessive hygiene , it disturbs the development of white blood cells, the key elements of the immune system.

Mental hygiene?

In particular, the excess hygiene it affects T cells, which have a variety of functions, including attacking and destroying germs that affect the immune system.

T-cell deficiency is linked to the type of inflammation that people with Alzheimer's have in their brains, according to research published in the journal Evolution Medicine and Public Health .

It should be noted that this hypothesis of excessive hygiene It is more relevant in childhood, when the immune system is still developing, and that exposure to microbes may be important.

Also, researchers from the Emory University , from the United States, affirm that excessive hygiene It is generating the disappearance of bacteria that contribute to the anti-inflammatory response of the human brain, which, until recently, also protected us from depression.

Cleaner countries at higher risk

Molly Fox, lead author and researcher at the University of Cambridge , explains that "there is a significant relationship between cleaning of a country and the number of Alzheimer's patients. The study of health data from 192 countries found that those with a relatively low risk of infection had more patients with the disease. "

In this sense, the results of several studies indicate that more than 50% of people with Alzheimer's live in developed countries, such as the United Kingdom or Australia, which even have a 10% higher risk of developing the disease.

While in countries of Latin America or Asia, such as India and Bangladesh, have lower rates of disease, due, among other things, that are more exposed to germs and microbes .

Video Medicine: How to practice emotional hygiene | Guy Winch | TEDxLinnaeusUniversity (May 2024).