Is dirt really bad for you?

In the 150 years since the discovery that microbes cause infectious diseases, we have battled to keep them at bay. Yet an explosion of new scientific knowledge has led to undeniable evidence that early exposure to these organisms is beneficial to our children’s well-being.

Marie-Claire Arrieta investigates whether our current emphasis on hyper-cleanliness and poor diets are taking a toll on our children's lifelong health and provides practical advice for parents of young children.

Marie-Claire Arrieta, PhD, has been studying how intestinal alterations lead to several immune diseases since 2007. During this time, she has established herself as an outstanding researcher in the field of microbiota.

She has been published in leading scientific journals such as Gut, PNAS, and Science Translational Medicine. She also co-authored a book aimed at parents, 'Let Them Eat Dirt', which explores how the microbiome influences childhood development and how a microbial imbalance can lead to several immune-mediated diseases.

A mother of two, Arrieta is a tireless advocate of using scientific knowledge to improve the health of children.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx