A study found that children in families leading an anthroposophic lifestyle (i.e. a lifestyle based on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner) are, on average, 40% less likely to develop atopic illnesses (asthma, hay fever, eczema). Furthermore, the risk fell in proportion to the degree of anthroposophic lifestyle led.

Of the characteristics of an anthroposophic lifestyle, the researchers identified (i) low participation in vaccination programmes and higher frequency of developing childhood illnesses in childhood, (ii) low use of antibiotics and (iii) high consumption of fermented vegetables containing live lactobacillus bacteria as particularly significant. The ‘anthroposophic cohort’ used in the study comprised children attending Steiner schools. They found that compared to a matched control group of children attending ‘ordinary’ schools:

• Only 52% of the Steiner children had had antibiotics in the past compared to 90% of the control group
• Only 18% had had an MMR jab compared to 93%
• 63% ate fermented vegetables compared to 4.5%