Research suggests why men are worse at being sick than women

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A recent study may weigh in on the debate over which is the stronger sex when it comes to powering through sickness.

The so-called "man flu" is a popular theory that men get sicker (or maybe act sicker) than women when they become sick with a virus.

Although the evidence behind the studies is inconclusive, some results show that female and male immune cells react differently when dealing with viruses.  A recent study, published in the journal of  Brain, Behavior and Immunity, found that male mice showed more sickness symptoms than females when they were exposed to bacteria linked to flu-like symptoms. Those males also took longer to recover, with more fluctuations in body temperature, fever and signs of inflammation.

Studies done in lab animals will not always apply to humans, but this research does suggests that the male sex really does get  physically get hit harder by certain illnesses.