Here’s another good reason to let your children play outside in the dirt: it makes them more intelligent and less anxious.
This was revealed by researchers at the general meeting of the American Society for Microbiology held this week in San Diego.
Experts say we have become so urbanized that we may lose the link with natural organisms that are beneficial to humans.
During laboratory tests, mice exposed to the Mycobacterium vaccae bacteria, a microbe found in natural soil, navigated twice as fast through a maze and with less anxiety.
In 2007, researchers noticed that this bacteria increased serotonin in the body. It modulates mood and decreases anxiety, in addition to playing a role in learning.
Dr. Dorothy Matthews is an associate professor of biology at The Sage Colleges in Troy, NY. She says, "Serotonin is a molecule that has a number of different effects, but one of them is modulating mood and decreasing anxiety. If you’re nervous, if you’re frightened, you just can’t think straight."
So let your kids get dirty. Researchers say that if the school curriculum included time outdoors, children would be less anxious and improve their learning skills.