But if dirt is a good thing, why are allergies and asthma so prevalent today in poor, inner-city neighborhoods? "It's not just a question of exposure to dirt that reduces allergies-it has to be the right kind of dirt," says Liu. "We're talking about exposure to endotoxin and good microbes in soil and animal waste." Research supports the hygiene hypothesis. "There was a famous study," says Harold Nelson, "where one of the protective factors for asthma was having a pig in the house.