If you suffer from allergies, you may be interested in a new study.
The study, done in Europe, was on Web-MD this week. While there have been studies in the past about an advantage kids who grow up on farms have, this new study says that just living close to a farm can have the same benefits when it comes to allergies.
The new report says it’s in line with what experts call the hygiene hypothesis." That says early exposure to immune-system allergy triggers -- called antigens -- actually helps prime the body against getting allergies.
That’s why some parents have always said letting their kids play in the dirt helps them build up immunity to some germs.
This new study has some pretty interesting details. It found that people who lived within about 1,000 feet of livestock were close to 30 percent less likely to have allergies than those who lived farther away.
Specifically, people living within about 1,600 feet of a pig farm were 37 percent less likely to have allergies.
And people living no more than 1,300 feet from a cattle farm had a 32 percent lower risk for allergies.
So if you want fewer allergies maybe it’s time to say goodbye to city life and move to Green Acres.
That is, as long as you don’t have an aversion to the smell from farms.
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