Man flu may be an evolutionary way of protecting yourself from primal predators and that’s why men should be allowed to lie on the sofa.

That's what a new study says, anyway.

Sometimes men get a bad wrap for the myth of man-flu, sometimes dismissed as the man just being unnecessarily dramatic when women get on with it.

A new study has shown that the much debated “man-flu” may actually have some solid foundations.

A Canadian study was carried out to find out if men really do experience worse symptoms than women.

This study is thought to be the first of its kind and evidence was found that adult men have a higher risk of hospital admission and higher rates of influenza associated deaths compared with women.

Dr Kyle Sue, a clinical assistant professor at Memorial Hospital of Newfoundland, suggests that men may not be exaggerating and just being dramatic, they may well have weaker immune responses to respiratory viruses.

He said there may actually be an evolutionary benefit to a less robust immune system, as it has allowed men to invest their energy in other biological processes, "such as growth, secondary sex characteristics, and reproduction"

"Perhaps now is the time for male friendly spaces, equipped with enormous televisions and reclining chairs, to be set up where men can recover from the debilitating effects of man flu in safety and comfort."

But what do you think? Is this a very nice excuse for men to be able to lie on the sofa and feel sorry for themselves?