To Absent Friends
New Zealand Listener|December 22 - January 4 2019

As allergies become more prevalent, worms – or their lack – are being blamed.

To Absent Friends

Being infected with intestinal worms may not sound like an attractive proposition. Soon, however, it may be the way we treat a range of allergies and autoimmune conditions such as asthma, eczema and coeliac disease. All are on the rise in developed countries, and the helminth, or parasitic worm, is believed to hold the key to why.

“There is a theory called the absent friends hypothesis,” says Kara Filbey, a researcher at Wellington’s Malaghan Institute. “Our immune systems evolved to have worms. We’re supposed to have some inside us, but now we’ve eradicated them completely in the Western world.”

To make a home inside the gut, worms need to be able to keep a lid on our immune system so it doesn’t attack them. Without them there to control the inflammatory response, the theory is that our system starts responding to things it shouldn’t, such as allergens in the environment.

“If you look at places where they do have worms endemically, such as Africa or Southeast Asia, they have a lower rate of allergies and inflammatory disease,” says Filbey.

Bu hikaye New Zealand Listener dergisinin December 22 - January 4 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye New Zealand Listener dergisinin December 22 - January 4 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

NEW ZEALAND LISTENER DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 dak  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024