Can Hookworm be a Cure for Allergies?

Being a long time sufferer of all sorts of auto-immune related diseases (asthma, eczema, etc.), I was particularly drawn to this interview on NPR's This American Life.

It is about a guy named Jasper Lawrence who learned that hookworms might lessen the effects of his allergies, so he actually traveled all the way to West Africa to purposefully become infected with the parasite. Apparently the remedy worked so well for him that at one point he decided to spread the good news by selling hookworms over the Internet, but his operation didn't last long before the government shut him down.

The fact that allergies seems to be a diseases that is uniquely prevalent in developed worlds have long baffled scientist, and many are theorizing now that perhaps by being "too clean", we actually kill off the germs and bacterias that could be the key to a healthy immune system.

If you are curious, here's an extensive article about this topic and researches done on NY Times.

More Bad News on Plastics

The April 12th issue of Time Magazine has a feature artile on "The Perils of Plastic" - in short, there are lots of chemicals that are bad to humans and the environment in plastics, and current regulations on what could chemicals could be used safely in consumer products are woefully lacking. The buden of proving chemicals dangerous falls almost entirely on th egovernment, while industry confidentiality privileges deny citizens and regulators critical information about what these substances are and what their effects are.

On this topic, if you are baffled by the types of plastics there are, check out this link which shows which number maps to what type of plastic and whether it can be recycled. On this note, if you live in the NW like I do here are the guidelines from Waste Management on how to recycle plastic. The key is to note that plastic #7 cannot be recycled, plastic bags should be recycled at the local grocery stores, and to keep all lids and caps out of the recycle bin.

Planting Vegetables Inside a House

Planting your own vegetables is not just a great way to get healthful produce but it is a wonderful way to decorate the house as well.

If you are interested in planting your own garden but don't have a big backyard, you might be interested in the solution presented by the folks at WindowFarms.org. They teach you how to set up a whole panel of planters by the window where you can grow everything from herbs to vegetables using old plastic bottles. The resulting setup is so beautiful it looks like a window decoration.

Another cool solution is the Topsy Turvy planters. Apparently they are wonderful for growing tomatoes and utilizes gravity to allow plans to naturally hang down. They sell these planters at the drugstores like Walgreens but if you would like to save $20, here's some simple instructions on how you can make your own using a 2L coke bottle, and here's a video showing how you can make one using a basket.

And of course, if you prefer the convenience of delicious, organic produce that is grown by a local farmer, check out CSA farms like Nature's Last Stand that provide delivery services to your neighborhood. Many of my friends sign up for weekly delivery to get a basket of in season fresh produce each week. I was told that this is a great way to expand one's repertoire of food options and acts as a great incentive to check out new recipes.