7 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health

Over the centuries, our favorite animals have become more attuned to our emotions and behaviors. Some can recognize and understand the words, gestures, tone of voice, and body language we use to respond to them. Studies show that beyond this companionship, pets are also beneficial to our mental and physical health. Here are some of the ways owning a pet can improve your health:

1. They enhance your physical fitness

People who own dogs are averagely more physically active than those who don’t. Those daily 30-minute walks go a long way toward ensuring you meet the minimum healthy physical activity requirements. To make a good fitness companion out of your dog, you need to ensure they are well-fed and in an excellent health state. Visit Dog Food Care to get the facts on proper pet dog feeding.

2. They reduce your chances of developing allergies

Children who grow up in homes with cats or dogs have a lower chance of developing allergies. Research also shows that children who spend time around farm animals have more specific immune system compounds, bolstering their immune systems. This is because pets expose humans to small doses of various organisms, increasing their resistance to diseases caused by these organisms.

3. Dogs can serve as snack alarms

People with diabetes know how serious it can get if their blood glucose levels drop too low. Specially trained dogs can notify their owners of a critical sugar drop before it happens. They do this by picking up scents that the human body gives off following certain chemical changes. This alarm will ensure you grab a snack in time to ward off diabetic hypoglycemia.

4. They improve your heart health

Heart protection is among the long-term benefits of having a pet cat. A 20-year study showed that people who didn’t own a cat had a 40% higher likelihood of dying from a heart attack than those who did. Another one linked dog ownership to increased survival rates a year on for heart attack victims. Pet owners are less likely to die of cardiac diseases both in the short term and long term

5. They can improve your depression symptoms

For years, therapists have prescribed pets as a way to manage and recover from depression. If your symptoms have anything to do with self-consciousness, a pet offers companionship devoid of the diffidence that comes with human company.

6. They lower your cholesterol

Doctors recommend that you adhere to a healthy diet, medication, and exercise to manage your cholesterol. However, owning a pet has been shown to yield similar effects in an easier, enjoyable way. According to research, pet owners have averagely lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels than non-pet owners.

7. Mood boost

Being around your pet can increase your happinesses. Interaction with your pet causes your brain to release oxytocin, which increases feelings of happiness, trust, empathy, and relaxation. It also reduces anxiety and stress. 

Endnote

These are some of the health benefits of owning a pet. If you contemplate getting one for specific health reasons, consider seeking advice from your therapist or a pet expert.