Large Families Have Fewer Cancer Cases
Family size is associated with feelings of happiness and resistance to the development of cancer and other diseases.
Each member of a large family has a below-average risk of cancer. The surprising finding was made by researchers from the universities of Zurich (Switzerland) and Adelaide (Australia) in the course of a study that analyzed data obtained from 178 countries.
Large families are happier and have fewer cancers
The smaller the family, the higher the risk of cancer. The bigger the less. That is how simple is the direct relationship between the extension of the family and the disease, and this association does not depend on factors such as income, if you live in the city or in the country or on age. On the other hand, there is a correlation with the size of the house.
Until now, it was known that each pregnancy reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, due to the decrease in exposure to estrogens, but the researchers found that the greater the number of members of a family, the greater the protection against a diversity of cancers: brain, bladder, lung, stomach, breast, colon, ovary and cervix.
It is also surprising that the men in the family are even more protected with the women.
“The number of children born into a family not only influences the physiological health of the mother or her reproductive systems, but also affects health, including the development of cancer, in all systems and in all members of the family. family, “ the authors write.
Emotional protection increases stamina
The researchers, led by Dr. Wenpeng You of the University of Adelaide, believe that the emotional protection offered by a large family and a large home increases the resistance of large families against cancer and other diseases.
Several studies have shown a relationship between psychological factors and cancer initiation, but this link remains controversial. Many experts dispute the methodology of these studies and continue to affirm that the psychological factor does not play any role in the origin of the disease.
The authors of the study, published in BMC Cancer, have found a relationship between family size, level of subjective happiness, and risk of disease. And they suggest a physiological mechanism: satisfactory family life stimulates the secretion of oxytocin (the “love hormone”), which has a protective effect in various types of cancer.
