Allergies May Help Prevent Cancer
November 4, 2008 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Women's Health
Sneezing may not be so bad after all!
New research from Cornell University provides evidence that allergies may help prevent certain types of cancer.
According to an article in the December issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology, allergy symptoms could work to prevent cancer by expelling foreign, potentially carcinogenic particles before they have a chance to come in contact with organs. The researchers also found that allergies may also help people know when there’s something in the air which should be avoided.
If allergies help prevent some cancers, is it good to suppress them with meds?
The Cornell researchers believe that more studies are needed to answer the question, but they hope their work will cause people to question whether allergies are disorders of the immune system.
Learn more:
Sherman, Paul W., Erica Holland, Janet Shellman Sherman, “Allergies: Their Role In Cancer Prevention,” The Quarterly Review of Biology December 2008
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