Working In Dirt Can Actually Be Healthy!

Just as antidepressants can compromise your immune system -- only one of their many harmful side effects -- getting dirty while working your garden can have the opposite effect.

Scientists tested their theory on mice some of which were exposed to a harmless microbe (Mycobacterium vaccae) in soil that works like a natural antidepressant, prompting the production of serotonin and altering behavior, while others weren't. When placed in a large container of water and forced to swim for five minutes, however, those that paddled the longest were mice exposed to that soil microbe.

No surprise, researchers tested the effect of Mycobacterium vaccae on human cancer patients a few years ago and discovered similar results. Evidently, research on this natural antidepressant was dropped because such exposures didn't extend the lives of terminal patients. That said, patients treated with the microbe reported significant improvements in the quality of their lives, vitality and cognitive functioning.

Better to pursue a hobby like gardening that can produce great benefits for your health naturally than to rely on drugs that provide no meaningful upside whatsoever.