We knew it.

If you grew up in the country, and your family owned some land and some cows there is no doubt you were slagged all your life for being a farmer. But it turns out there is a huge benefit to growing up surrounded by animals. New research suggests that you may be healthier if you spent your childhood milking cows and running after chickens. The research found that people who grew up in the countryside were at lower risk of suffering from allergies and even had better respiratory systems. Adults who grew up on a farm were 54 per cent less likely to have asthma or hay fever and 57 per cent less likely to have allergic nasal symptoms than those who grew up in more urban settings. Interestingly, women had significantly higher lung strength if they grew up on a farmstead.   The study was carried out across 14 different countries on over 10,000 participants and researchers were fascinated by the consistency of the finding across the board. "The multi-country settings suggests that farming effects may be due to biological mechanisms rather than socio-cultural effects that would differ between countries.” The study concludes. Though less relevant to health, the research also revealed that kids who grew up on a farm were more likely to have had pets, older siblings, and to have shared a bedroom in their early childhood. Another recent study said that people who live in the country are more likely to be healthy, so the next time someone slags you for being a culchie or a bogger, remember that it's actually of huge benefit to you.