Everyone hates allergies, right? Well, now a new study actually points out some of the surprising benefits of being allergic.

In what they call “the most comprehensive database yet available” on the subject, researchers have discovered a relationship between allergies and some forms of cancer.

The study, published in The Quarterly Review of Biology, found a connection between allergies and cancer in tissues exposed to the environment like the colon, skin and lungs.

Scientists looked at 646 studies conducted over 50 years to discover that allergies like eczema, hives and hay fever were closely linked to lower rates of cancer in exposed tissues.

Study lead Paul Sherman, professor of neurobiology and behavior at Cornell University, believes allergy symptoms may help prevent cancer by removing foreign particles from the body which may be carcinogenic.

Conversely, asthma is associated with higher rates of lung cancer. The theory is that, unlike other forms of allergies which promote the shedding of particles, asthma reduces the ability to expel mucus which could possibly contain carcinogens.

The study also noted that cancer of tissues not directly exposed to the environment, like the breast and prostate, is rarely related to allergies.

According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, an estimated 50 million people are affected by allergies in the U.S., with 54.6 percent of Americans testing positive for one or more form of allergen.