Dirt—Yes DIRT—Treats Depression and Increases Learning

Teresa Neumann : Jun 21, 2010
Garth Hogan - American Society for Microbiology

"These studies help us understand how the body communicates with the brain and why a healthy immune system is important for maintaining mental health. They also leave us wondering if we shouldn't all be spending more time playing in the dirt."

"The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed." -Genesis 2:7-8

REPORTER'S NOTE: Yet again, science inadvertently dishes up facts that lead us to the creation story. God could have created a human being in anyway he desired. He could have spoken His Word and Adam would have materialized, yet He chose to form him from the DUST of the earth. God, the ultimate consummate artist, used a medium that would speak volumes to us symbolically on many different levels. Thank you God for never ceasing to amaze us! -Teresa Neumann, BCN.

In a provocative new study, scientists have reported that exposure to specific bacteria in the environment called mycobacterium vaccae which is already believed to have antidepressant qualities, could also increase learning behavior.

The results of the research was presented recently at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego.

"Mycobacterium vaccae is a natural soil bacterium which people likely ingest or breath in when they spend time in nature," said Dorothy Matthews of The Sage Colleges in Troy, New York. (Photo: Petr Kovar)

An earlier study on the anti-depressant qualities of dirt, as reported in EurekAlert on April 1,2007, quoted Dr. Chris Lowry as saying: "These studies help us understand how the body communicates with the brain and why a healthy immune system is important for maintaining mental health. They also leave us wondering if we shouldn't all be spending more time playing in the dirt."