article_snippet.sent: Western diets and an emphasis on sterile, germ-free food has made us more likely to allergies, new research suggests.
article_snippet.sent: A lack of bacteria in the gut means we are less equipped to deal with germs - meaning that we bodies often overreact when we come into contact with bugs, dust or pollen.
article_snippet.sent: The findings bolster the theory that modern obsession with hygiene and cleanliness has driven a boom in allergies and health problems.
article_snippet.sent: Many scientists believe that modern society, with its mania for sanitation and easy access to antibiotics, makes us hypersensitive to harmless allergens.
article_snippet.sent: A lack of bacteria in the gut means we are less equipped to deal with germs - meaning that we bodies often overreact when we come into contact with bugs, dust or pollen (file photo)
article_snippet.sent: Asthma, peanut allergies and hayfever are examples of allergic conditions that have been linked by previous research to the problems caused by insufficient bacteria in the gut.
highlights_snippet.sent: Lack of bacteria in the gut means we are less equipped to deal with germs .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: Means our bodies overreact when in contact with bugs, dust or pollen .
  