活久見，吃鼻屎對身體好（中英對照）

It is one of the disgusting habits parents try in vain to stoptheir children from doing in public.

這可能是最噁心的一個習慣了，許多父母都試圖阻止自己的孩子在公共場合這樣做，但是最終卻徒勞無功。

But it may be the wrong reaction to tell a child off for pickingtheir nose and – horror of horrors – eating it.

但是他們可能不應該阻止孩子們挖鼻屎--甚至是吃掉它們！

Experts now insist that, in fact, this unsavoury practice isgood for your teeth and overall health.

事實上，專家們現在堅持認為，這種令人厭惡的做法對人的牙齒和整體健康狀況是有好處的。

They believe that the bacteria collected in the nose couldimprove the body's immune system if eaten.

他們認為，如果吃掉鼻屎的話，鼻子中收集的細菌對人體免疫系統有好處。

來自加拿大薩斯喀徹溫大學的生物化學教授斯科特·納珀表示：「人類的天性會讓我們做不同的事情，因為某些行為、吃某些食物會對我們有好處。」

So maybe when you have an urge to pick your nose and eat it, youshould just go with nature.

所以當你有一種衝動想要挖鼻孔，然後吃掉的話，那就遵從你的天性吧！

'From an evolutionary perspective, we evolved under very dirtyconditions and maybe this desire to keep our environment and ourbehaviours sterile isn't actually working to our advantage.'

「從進化論的角度來看，我們是在非常骯髒的環境下進化的，而現在人類這種想要把周圍環境和行為都變得一塵不染的做法對人體可能不利。」

Another study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologysuggested mucus could help to prevent infections by keeping badbacteria in check.

而麻省理工的另一項研究表明，鼻腔里的粘液可以預防細菌感染。

The researchers believed synthetic mucus, in the form oftoothpaste for example, could be used to stop people gettingcavities in their teeth.

研究人員認為，在牙膏中加入合成的鼻腔粘液，可以用來防止蛀牙。

Austrian lung specialist Professor Friedrich Bischinger,speaking on the same topic, said research showed people who pickedtheir noses were healthier, happier and better in tune with theirbodies.

奧地利肺部專家弗里德里克·畢辛格教授也持同樣看法，他表示，那些挖鼻孔的人更健康、更開心、身體也更好。