Farm Animals help immunize your kids

From the U.S.Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.

The prevalence of asthma and other atopic diseases has recently increased, especially in urban and modernized regions of the world. The majority of published prevalence surveys report that asthma and atopy are less common among children living in rural areas. While many exposures differ in rural and urban areas of the world, several recent studies have suggested that agricultural exposures in early childhood may decrease the risk of developing atopic disease. Livestock exposure, in particular, seems to be important, but additional research is needed to pinpoint the underlying mechanisms behind this apparent protective effect of rural and farm living. Additionally, prospective studies are needed to more closely examine the timing of farm exposures in relation to the onset of asthma and atopy, and to determine if the apparent protective effects of farming persist into adulthood.

Asthma and Atopy in Rural Children: Is Farming Protective?

link to whole study

Farming improves overall health

Farmers in many countries, including the United States, have lower overall death rates and cancer rates than the general population. Lower death rates among farmers for heart diseaseand cancers of the lung, esophagus, bladder, and colon, in particular, are thought to be due, at least in part, to lower smoking rates, as well as more physically active lifestyles and dietary factors.

Agricultural Health Study

What is the Agricultural Health Study?

In 1993, scientists from the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began a research project known as the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) to evaluate the role of agricultural exposures in the development of cancer and other diseases in members of the farming community. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health joined the study in 2000.

The AHS is also providing an opportunity to assess the effects of diet, cooking methods, and other lifestyle and genetic factors on the risks of cancer and other diseases. The results will provide information that can be used to create a safe work environment and a healthy lifestyle for agricultural workers and their families.

Link to entire report