Eating boogers could be boosting your immune system

Sarah Anne LloydYou can pick your friends …

Today in stuff you already knew: Boogers are great! But not JUST in flavor — also for your health. So you can tell all those booger-haters to SHOVE IT, because you’re boosting your immune system, all from the comfort of your own nose.

But don’t take my word for it. Instead, take the word of University of Saskatchewan biochemistry professor Scott Napper, apparently an expert on booger consumption:

“By consuming those pathogens caught within the mucus, could that be a way to teach your immune system about what it’s surrounded with?” is the hypothesis Scott Napper posed to his students.

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Napper noted that snot has a sugary taste and that may be a signal to the body to consume it and derive information for the immune system.

“I’ve got two beautiful daughters and they spend an amazing amount of time with their fingers up their nose,” he said. “And without fail, it goes right into their mouth afterwards. Could they just be fulfilling what we’re truly meant to do?”

I mean, think of those germaphobes you know — they don’t get sick any less than the rest of us, right? Maybe what they need is a good old-fashioned booger burger once in a while. That’s not just me saying that; it’s science. Or at least it will be once Napper’s totally unproven theory is tested. But he probably won’t have a problem finding guinea pigs:

Napper added, with a chuckle, that he has already been approached by people keen to participate in a study.

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Smells like teen spirit!