Professor Friedrich Bischinger wants to take the ick out of picking. In fact, not only does he want to eradicate the dark social stigma associated with publicly rooting around in your sniffer, the Austrian lung specialist believes we shouldn't stop there. He suggests eating what you find, and he may have a point (albeit a super gross one). Stifle your gag reflex because mining and dining is backed by science as a bonafide health recommendation.

Bischinger says we should all have license to pick to our heart's content because (and shudder away should you need to here) "eating the dry remains of what you pull out is a great way of strengthening the body's immune system". He says not only is it perfectly natural, it's sound health advice. "In terms of the immune system, the nose is a filter in which a great deal of bacteria are collected, and when this mixture arrives in the intestines it works just like a medicine." If you haven't cringed yourself unconscious and are still with us, note that bacteria is really good for your gut. That's why bacteria heavy probiotic foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and yogurt are touted as immune system boosters and even mood regulators. The good professor hopes to incite something of a revolting revolution and even encourages parents to think before they chastise their kids for digging for snout snacks.

Before you dismiss the Professor of Picking as a lone radical, appreciate the following: credible research from the likes of MIT and Harvard support the potential health boon of booger bingeing, especially in kids. One study, lead in part by Dr. Katharina Ribbek of MIT's Dept of Biological Engineering, found that snot is high in salivary mucins which form a preventative barrier staving off dental cavity-causing bacteria. Something to fold into your brushing and flossing routine if you have the stomach for it.

Summary of conclusions. S. mutans utilizes sucrose to form sticky extracellular polysaccharides that facilitate attachment to the tooth surface and subsequent biofilm formation. (A) In the biofilm, bacterial metabolism of sucrose causes a decrease in the local pH, leading to demineralization of the tooth structure. (B) The presence of mucins in sucrose-supplemented growth medium decreases S. mutans attachment and biofilm formation on the tooth surface by maintaining S. mutans in the planktonic state. (Source: American Society for Microbiology)

Researchers are even looking into the development of a synthetic mucus that mimics the health benefits of nostril gunk. Ideally, to be used in a toothpaste or bubble gum (rapidly nearing my shudder quota). Can't wait to see the marketing campaigns. Dental hygiene isn't the only gross gain we can glean from goober research, nor is this the first or last discovery to trigger our collective disgust.

Mucus plays such a massive role in safeguarding our various orifices that researchers will likely continue to study it to see what else its gooey depths can yield for advancements in medical science. Or put scientifically, "one key defense mechanism on all moist epithelial linings, such as the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and lungs, is a layer of thick, well-hydrated mucus." When that mucus congeals in the nostrils, we get a healthy excuse to clean house, and if the data is correct, take our medicine (unhappy face emoji). Cavities are really just the tip of the booger. Evidence suggests that understanding the microbial properties of mucus might eventually help us ward off a broad list of illnesses from respiratory infections to stomach ulcers to immune system disorders. Something to chew on, scientifically.

Turns out the only real health concern with eating your own nose candy is that aggressive picking can cause nosebleeds. That, and one more caveat: that the idea of eating what you find may potentially cause you to barf your brains out.

