The pattern throughout the world is that the wealthier and more developed a
nation is the more common all the
immunological disorders become.

For instance in places like Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates diseases like
asthma, allergies and Type I diabetes are
exploding, and approaching western levels. Oil wealth and the very rapid
transition to a western standard of living
from being nomads, etc., is the cause.

So Mexico is seeing a rise in all these diseases, but it is uneven. Areas like
the Yucatan and the less developed, poorer
areas where sanitation is still patchy or absent, have low rates. But places
like Mexico City and Tijuana, ironically, are
seeing increasing levels approaching those of the USA and Europe.

These are diseases of wealthy, clean living. So wherever people have sewers,
wear shoes and drink chlorinated water,
use antibiotics and are widely vaccinated, the result is always the same.

Increased levels of asthma, allergies, Crohn's, UC, Sjogren's Syndrom, MS,
Rheumatoid arthritis, etc., etc., etc.

It is the law of unintended consequences writ large.

Jasper

--- In helminthictherapy@yahoogroups.com, j_earp@... wrote:
>
> Are asthma, allergies, and other autoimmune diseases common in Mexico? Thanks.
John
> Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Jasper Lawrence" <jascallaw@...>
>
> Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2009 20:08:10
> To: <helminthictherapy@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [helminthictherapy] Re: Eating Dirt-- Again
>
>
> It would have to be the third world, soil born helminths are almost unknown in
the US.
>
> it would also have to be the most remote and poorest areas of the third world,
I doubt
> Mexico is a good candidate anymore, unless you get really out there in the
most remote,
> and poorest areas. Anywhere that has sewers, chlorinated water, or where
people
> commonly wear shoes is over. And that is now most of Mexico. I have been going
to
> Mexico since 1988 and it has developed considerably in that time. It is a
rich, modern
> country now, for the most part.
>
> It is a crap shoot (sorry), too, unless you take a microscope and plan on
staying for a few
> weeks or months. How do you know what you are catching, or even if you are
catching it?
>
> My crude math based on the life expectancy and average population size of
hookworms in
> villagers, plus the rough average output of embryos by each adult female
hookworm,
> suggests there is a single infection event (one worm entering one person) for
roughly each
> 10 billion embryos produced. That's right, billion.
>
> So to just go barefoot, as I learned, requires a lot of luck.
>
> My first trip was successful, but it took a further three trips abroad to come
home with the
> right species of hookworms. I came home empty handed twice, not even a
sniffle. Those
> were dark days. But I did get to see the world ;-)
>
> Jasper
>
>
>
> --- In helminthictherapy@yahoogroups.com, j_earp@ wrote:
> >
> > If immune/inflammatory diseases are basically unknown in third world
countries, would
> visiting Mexico (isn't Mexico a third world country?) and exposing oneself to
Mexican dirt
> and/or walking barefoot through open latrines in Mexico infect one with
helminths and/or
> beneficial soil-based organisms? Would U.S. dirt work just as well? Is there
any place in
> the U.S. where helminths are known to thrive today? I just don't get the need
to travel to
> Ghana to get infected with helminths. Thanks. John
> > Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: "Donna Beales" <dbeales@>
> >
> > Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2009 09:49:44
> > To: <helminthictherapy@yahoogroups.com>
> > Subject: [helminthictherapy] Eating Dirt-- Again
> >
> >
> > An addendum to the conversation of a few months ago about eating dirt:
> >
> > 1: Posit Health News. 1998 Spring;(No 16):16-8.
> >
> > Soil-based organisms improve immune function: shift cytokine profile
> > from TH2 to
> > TH1.
> >
> > [No authors listed]
> >
> > AIDS: SRL 172, a protein derived from a soil-based organism, is
> > advertised for
> > being able to restart the immune systems of persons with allergies, lung
> > cancer,
> > and tuberculosis. SRL 172 also appears to shift the cytokine profile in
> > persons
> > with Gulf War Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome from TH2 back to the
> > more
> > effective TH1 profile. One patient reports improved DTH skin responses
> > to topical
> > DNCB after using Nature's Biotics Soil-based Organisms (SBOs). There
> > also
> > appeared to be improved immunity response indicating a shift from a
> > weaker TH2 to
> > a TH1 cytokine profile. The patient explains his successful use of SBOs
> > and
> > reveals that all but 1 out of 100 other patients who have used the
> > product for a
> > variety of ailments cite successful outcomes. Among the ailments whose
> > symptoms
> > the SBOs have helped relieve are foot sores from diabetes, Chronic
> > Fatigue
> > Syndrome, insomnia, and genital herpes. Recent use of SBOs by
> > HIV-infected
> > patients has had positive results in energy and weight gain and
> > improvements in
> > some types of chronic conditions indicating an improvement of cell
> > mediated
> > immunity and antibody production.
> >
> >
> > PMID: 11365013 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
> >
> >
> > If you go out onto the Internet and type in "soil-based probiotics" you
> > will pull up lots of products. However, their effectiveness is
> > anybody's guess.
> >
> >
> > Donna Beales, MLIS
> >
> > Lowell General Hospital
> >
> > Health Science Library
> >
> > 295 Varnum Ave.
> >
> > Lowell, MA 01854
> >
> > Email: dbeales AT lowellgeneral.org
> >
> > www.lowellgeneral.org/library <http://www.lowellgeneral.org/library>
> >
> > Tel. 978-937-6247
> >
> > Fax 978-937-6855
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > This message and any included attachments are intended only for the use
> > of the person or entity to whom it is addressed and may contain
> > information that is privileged, confidential and protected from
> > disclosure under applicable law. Any review, disclosure, transmission,
> > dissemination, copying or other use of this information by persons or
> > entities other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If
> > you have received this message in error, please immediately notify the
> > sender and delete the related message. Thank you.
> >
>