Someone usually take vitamin C to ward off infections like flu germs. But there is a more enjoyable way to prevent flu.

A study published in The Journal of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine reports that massage can boost the immune system and help cope with stress better.

Both of these conditions indicates that massage does not only provide health benefits in general, but it helps prevent infections contagious diseases like the flu.

In this study, researchers divided the participants into two groups, one group received the traditional Swedish massage while the others only get a light touch that does not cover massage therapy techniques.

After 45 minutes the two groups were then compared blood samples taken. Known to the group who received traditional Swedish massage experienced a significant increase in the number of lymphocytes (white blood cells).

As we all know these white blood cells play a major role in protecting the body against disease and reduce levels of stress hormones that are owned.

“We found that biological changes occur when a person get a massage, these changes provide benefits to the health of the body,” said Mark Hyman Rapaport, MD, chair of the department of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as quoted from Menshealth.