Socialising is good for health -- in fact, it may even help fight cancer, says a new study.
An international team has carried out the study and found that socialising with others aid in fight against cancer as the stress of interaction causes tumours to shrink and even go into remission.
Cancer patients who change their lifestyle to keep company with more people could see substantial improvements in their condition, says the study.
According to researchers, the findings challenge accepted wisdom that stress is damaging to health, indicating that a manageable level of stress can help the body fight disease, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Matthew During of The Ohio State University, who led the experiments on mice, said that the results had substantial implications for how people with cancer should live after diagnosis.
Doctors should pay more attention to living conditions of their patients, rather than relying on traditional clinical treatments like surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
He was quoted as saying, "The goal isn't to minimise stress, but to live a richer life, socially and physically. You want to be challenged.
"Traditionally working on the area of lifestyle and the brain has been a 'soft area'. This paper really suggests if we look at people more in terms of their perceptions of disease, their social interactions and environment, we could realise a profound influence on cancer."
{{/usCountry}}"Traditionally working on the area of lifestyle and the brain has been a 'soft area'. This paper really suggests if we look at people more in terms of their perceptions of disease, their social interactions and environment, we could realise a profound influence on cancer."
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