'Bathing is bad for you!'

Exposure of skin within one hour of bathing is risky

He said: “Having a bath is bad for you... and soaps wash away the defensive barrier from our skin.”

D’Souza revealed, while delivering the inaugural address of the national symposium on ‘Immunology Today: Recent developments in health and disease,’ organised by the bicochemistry department, University of Mysore, at Rani Bahadur Auditorium here on Monday.

Speaking about the immune system, he said it protects us from external invasion by pathogens, non-living substances such as toxins, chemicals, drugs and foreign objects. He said the human skin also possesses similar system to prevent any external toxin from entering the body.

However, he clarified that if the body is exposed to the environment within one hour of bathing there is an increased chance of the skin getting exposed to infection as the sebaceous gland ‘Sebum’ would have been washed away.

D’Souza mentioned that a well-balanced diet in proper proportion is necessary for good health. While exercise in moderation improves the immunity in the body, lack of sleep decreases immune response, he added.

However, he mentioned that a few times the immune system makes mistakes and recognises normal tissue as foreign, such as in rheumatoid arthritis, where the immune system attacks normal cartilage.

He said problems also arise when non-threatening antigens make their way into the body and sensitise the immune system to respond to any subsequent exposures.
He said, “Immunity is our friend because it protects against pathogens, but it may also be our foe when it plays a role in chronic disease.”