From CARE2
Playing In The Dirt Could Make Kids Smarter
That's right! Put away the baby wipes and hand sanitiser! Eating dirt could actually make kids smarter.
Exposure To Bacteria Could Enhance Learning
Research published earlier this year by ScienceDaily.com shows the positive side of a soil-borne bacteria that is likely to be inhaled when children are playing outside. Researchers found that exposure to specific bacteria could enhance learning.
"Mycobacterium vaccae is a natural soil bacterium which people likely ingest or breathe in when they spend time in nature," said Dorothy Matthews of The Sage Colleges in Troy, New York.
Previous studies exposing mice to these bacteria showed stimulated growth of some neurons in the brain, leading to increased levels of serotonin and decreased anxiety. Curious as to whether live mycobacterium vaccae could thus improve learning in mice, researchers discovered that it did.
Mice Navigated Maze Twice As Fast
"We found that mice that were fed live M. vaccae navigated the maze twice as fast and with less demonstrated anxiety behaviors as control mice," Matthews explained. And continued, "It is interesting to speculate that creating learning environments in schools that include time in the outdoors where M. vaccae is present may decrease anxiety and improve the ability to learn new tasks."
Take this as extra incentive to get children outside and exploring nature, which is important for so many reasons.
READ MORE
Playing In The Dirt Could Make Kids Smarter
That's right! Put away the baby wipes and hand sanitiser! Eating dirt could actually make kids smarter.
Exposure To Bacteria Could Enhance Learning
Research published earlier this year by ScienceDaily.com shows the positive side of a soil-borne bacteria that is likely to be inhaled when children are playing outside. Researchers found that exposure to specific bacteria could enhance learning.
"Mycobacterium vaccae is a natural soil bacterium which people likely ingest or breathe in when they spend time in nature," said Dorothy Matthews of The Sage Colleges in Troy, New York.
Previous studies exposing mice to these bacteria showed stimulated growth of some neurons in the brain, leading to increased levels of serotonin and decreased anxiety. Curious as to whether live mycobacterium vaccae could thus improve learning in mice, researchers discovered that it did.
Mice Navigated Maze Twice As Fast
"We found that mice that were fed live M. vaccae navigated the maze twice as fast and with less demonstrated anxiety behaviors as control mice," Matthews explained. And continued, "It is interesting to speculate that creating learning environments in schools that include time in the outdoors where M. vaccae is present may decrease anxiety and improve the ability to learn new tasks."
Take this as extra incentive to get children outside and exploring nature, which is important for so many reasons.
READ MORE
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