Boogers, bogies, snot… whatever you want to call them! What’s the deal?
If you’ve ever watched your kid plunge their finger up their nose, dig around and then pop their newly found prize into their mouth, we’re sure this question’s crossed your mind – are boogers safe to eat? We dug a little deeper…
First up, why do kids pick their nose?
Kids normally go investigating up there because they simply feel that something’s not quite right. Whether it’s brought on by allergies, cold weather, or their nasal cavity has dried up, it’s usually because their boogers have hardened (yeah, you know the ones).
But, aren’t boogers are full of germs?
While society says nose-picking is a no-go, turns out, some scientists say eating mucus can actually strengthen your immune system. And we hate to break it to you, but snot that doesn’t dry in your nasal cavity probably went straight into your tum anyway.
Our expert, Dr Tracy Chandler, and mum of five weighs in…
“Much to my horror, my 3-year-old confidently tells me, “boogers are so tasty!”. However cringeworthy, you may be surprised to know that there is, in fact, a health benefit. This is due to the effect of boogers on the immune system and adds further weight to the “Hygiene Hypothesis”. This theory states that our children’s environments can be “too clean” which means their immune system is not being stimulated to respond to various challenges during growth of their immune system.
We are definitely over-sterilising our lives (think of all those hand soaps designed to kill 99.9% of bugs) and as a result, our immune systems are suffering. So whilst not socially acceptable, eating boogers is definitely one way to counteract our sterile modern life.
On a positive note, at least your children eating their boogers means you won’t find them stuck to your couch, as a substitute for super glue, or as an extra piece in the lego set! However, I can’t see boogers being added to the menu of any reputable restaurants.”
And there you have it.
Got another curly health questions you’d like us to answer? Let us know in the comments below.
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