um, first of all... gross. eew.
you know, sewer rats vs lab rats having better immune systems DOES make sense. i mean, if you were exposed to trash and bacteria and viruses everyday, it makes your body tougher because your immune system is 'well-exercised'. it responds better because it's used to such a hazardous environment. on the contrary, lab rats will almost always theoretically DIE if they are suddenly exposed to trash. first of all, living in the squeaky clean environment forces their immune system to be barely active because there is no need for it to work. it doesn't develop or mature because it is almost inactive, so adult lab rats probably have similar immune system as a baby rat's.
on clean living making us sick--well, that depends entirely on circumstance. once clean, must always keep clean. Or better yet, keep the immune system healthy by getting shots and eating the right stuff. Besides, totally bacteria-free environments aren't exactly practical around the world right now, so we're not exactly in a squeaky clean world. in fact, everyday, we are plagued by trillions of God-knows-whats, so we could say that our immune systems, no matter how clean an area may be, are still busy at work.
... what the hell am i saying?
kumar: i'm sorry, i didn't quite catch your reply. can you please explain it a bit more?
