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The children from the Amish communities in North Indiana are almost immune to respiratory conditions such as Asthma and allergies.

“The number of people who get sick is really low. We think that something in their system protects them”, revealed Dr. Mark Holbreich. The researchers discovered that the so-called “farm effect” is responsible for their strong immune system.

The American allergist from Indianapolis is studying the Amish communities for more than 20 years.

According to the American publication Madison, the Amish children from the US are similar to Hutterites, an Anabaptist Christian sect established in Moravia. The ethnoreligious group from Germany is very similar to the Amish, except that Hutterites use the mechanical farming equipment. Regarding the rate of children with Asthma, the American community’s rate is 5 percent and for Hutterite children, it’s 21 percent.

The study involved 30 Amish children (average age 11) and 30 Hutterite children (average age 12). The researchers took into consideration their genetic ancestry, environmental exposures, and their immune system profiles. Clearly, the strong immune system is due to their simple lifestyle.

Asthma is a respiratory condition characterized by attacks of spasm in the bronchi of the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing. The chronic lung disease is usually connected to the allergic reaction or other forms of hypersensitivity.