Cattle may protect against lung cancer

A LIFETIME spent near cows may help cut the risk of lung cancer later in life by up to 40 per cent, reports the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Exposure to horses has a similar benefit but pigs and chickens offer no protection. Researchers in France tracked 170,000 farm workers over several decades. The longer people worked with cattle, the lower their lung cancer risk.

Earlier studies have found the immune systems of farmers who inhale cow manure particles — which is full of bacteria — are more robust and better able to destroy cancer cells.