An overexcited four-legged friend greets you at the door after a long, stressful day at work. There’s no doubt it will put a smile on your face. Pets provide companionship and giggles galore, making pet ownership one of life’s greatest pleasures. There are many health and well-being benefits to owning a pet; however, they do not end there.
Dogs and cats are the most popular pets in the United States, with 65 percent of households owning them.
Having a pet in your life is no surprise; not only do pets provide wonderful company, but they also teach compassion and offer unconditional love.
“Animals are such agreeable friends – they don’t ask questions and they don’t criticize,” said British novelist George Eliot.
Besides their indisputable charm, pets offer many health and well-being benefits to humans. In this article, we examine in more detail what these
Allergy risk is lower
Therefore, it may surprise you to find out that pets actually reduce allergy risk.
By the time students reach school age, exposure to dogs and farm animals has been associated with a lower risk of asthma development.
Children who were exposed to household pets prior to birth and for up to three months after birth experienced changes in gut bacteria associated with childhood allergies. This is according to a study published in Microbiome.
According to these studies, extensive exposure to pathogens and potential allergens at an early age strengthens the immune system, thereby increasing tolerance to allergies later on.
According to these studies, extensive exposure to pathogens and potential allergens at an early age strengthens the immune system, thereby increasing tolerance to allergies later on.
Stress and anxiety are reduced
It may not come as a surprise that pets can help alleviate stress and anxiety due to the soothing sound of a cat purring. This is due to the feeling of a dog tucked up against your feet.
CDC researchers found that children with pets in the household were significantly less likely to test positive for anxiety on a screening test in 2015.
According to a recent study, children who actively interact with their pets have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than those who do not interact with them.
“Children who actively approached their dogs to pet them or stroke them had lower cortisol levels than those who did not,” says Darlene Kertes, a researcher at the University of Florida. Children’s cortisol levels tend to be higher when dogs hover around or approach them on their own.
Heart health is improved
Heart disease risk factors can be reduced with healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Your pet may also protect your heart health, did you know?
The American Heart Association published a scientific report in 2013 claiming that owning a dog may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Studies suggest that dog owners are 54 percent more likely than the general public to meet physical activity guidelines, according to study co-author Glenn Levine of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.