Human society has instinctively known for thousands of years that exposure to the natural elements, such as sun, wind, water, and earth, has helped to improve mood and overall health outcomes.
A day at the beach, a cruise on the boat or in a car with the top down, and a walk through the woods are just a few examples of activities known to boost overall mood and health.
As far as these elements go, the exposure to dirt is often the one most taken for granted. After all, most of us have been reprimanded by our parents or other authority figures by “getting dirty,” or playing in the soil or mud.
Despite this, our natural, God-given instincts seem to direct us towards exposing ourselves to the soil.
After all, without the farmers who do so every day, we wouldn’t have the food crops and food products we need to thrive in this lifetime.
Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever?
In April 2010 authors Clinton Ober, Martin Zucker and Stephen Sinatra wrote a book that would go on to become a guide of sorts to the modern day “hippie” lifestyle.
Its title is ‘Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever Made!’ and a second, updated edition was released in March of 2014.
This book added scientific credence to the instinctive “hippie” practice of putting bare foot in the Earth, whether on grass, in the sand, or climbing up mountains or carefully walking and hopping across seaside rocks.
The benefits of these simple practices are immense, so much so that people suffering from an epidemic of “modern,” “uncurable” diseases like fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s Disease, have reported miraculous discoveries with repeated exposure to soil.
The feet are home to approximately 7,000 nerve endings. Exposing them to the elements, especially soil and soil microbes, has been correlated with positive health outcomes. People report feeling more alive, more “grounded,” and more calm after exposing their feet to the soil on a consistent basis.
This is a form of ancient wisdom known by indigenous people like second nature. Unfortunately, it’s been lost among our society, which has embraced highly useful, but also potentially harmful, modern conveniences like 5G radiation, rubber-soled shoes and more as a necessity.
How Dirt Makes People Happy
Science has shed light recently on how “happy antidepressant” microbes in soil work in the human body.
A study called “Identification of an Immune-Responsive Mesolimbocortical Seronergic System: Potential Role in Regulation of Emotional Behavior” by Christopher Lowry et al. was published in the journal Neuroscience regarding this topic.
Research has shown that antidepressant microbes in soil cause cytokine levels to rise, which leads to the production of higher levels of the mood-regulating chemical serotonin.
Bacterium from the soil was tested both by injection and ingestion on rats, resulting in a surprising array of benefits.
The rats exposed to the soil bacteria had increase cognitive ability, lower stress, and better concentrated on tasks than a control group.
If you spend time in a garden, you may have noticed these effects. Gardeners inhale soil bacteria, have contact with it through their feet and hands, and get the bacterium in their bloodstream whenever there is a cut or other pathway for infection.
These beneficial effects can be felt for up to three weeks according to experiments with lab animals.
If you’ve been putting off going out into nature because you’re planning a big trip to the beach or mountains, now may be the perfect time to take a break outside in the backyard. Going barefoot, gardening, “playing in the dirt” or even getting out in the forest and exposing yourself to the Earth can pay huge dividends for your health.
The more we play in the dirt, the more we help to counteract the negative health effects of modern day society. Prioritize this way of life, and watch your health improve in ways you never thought possible.
Thanks for reading! For more info on this, check out the ‘Earthing’ book here. You can also buy ‘grounding mats’ that produce similar effects both for your home office and for sleeping in your bed. They work by connecting to the ground outside your home.
Thanks for installing the Bottom of every post plugin by Corey Salzano. Contact me if you need custom WordPress plugins or website design.
About Nick Meyer
