If you have a pet in your life, you’re ahead of the game when it comes to health and wellness. Research indicates that the companionship of animals helps our overall quality of life and may provide some startling health benefits.
Have high blood pressure? Pet owners overall have lower blood pressure, according to studies. Blood pressure declined in one study within five months of adopting a shelter dog. Cholesterol levels were also impacted; those with pets have lower overall triglyceride levels than those who don’t.
Pet owners were also happier, with fewer reporting suffering from depression and anxiety. Seniors with pets were shown to have 30% fewer visits to the doctor than those without them.
Petting and interacting with an animal naturally releases feel-good hormones in our system, such as serotonin and oxytocin, which elevate mood, reduce anxiety and provide comfort.
For people with Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injuries, autism, PTSD and anxiety disorders, a pet can serve therapeutic purposes from helping with memory recall, overcoming fear, combating loneliness, providing comfort and promoting overall quality of life.
Having a fur buddy has also been shown to help with managing chronic pain. Aside from the release of oxytocin and serotonin, pets help promote greater intrinsic levels of Phenylethylamine, a hormone that may help with natural pain reduction.
At the core of the benefits of having a pet is the fundamental need of humans to engage in touch. In studies involving prison inmates who participated in a pet therapy program, pet interaction showed long-term positive behavioral changes even in hardened criminals. Pets can truly be transformative,
Bringing a dog into your life can also help pave the way to better lifestyle choices. Those who owned a dog are more likely to exercise daily and even lose weight. A one year study conducted by the Wellness Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, for example, found that dog walking promoted a healthier life for both human and dog, helping to shed canine and human pounds.
How many pounds can you expect to lose by walking a dog? A study by the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction found that just 20 minutes of dog walking, five days a week averages about a 14 pound weight loss in one year. This weight loss did not involve any dietary changes.
Cat lovers, don’t fret! Having a cat in your life also has benefits. A cat’s purr has been shown to reduce stress, promote better sleep, lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular risk. In fact, owning a cat (but as you know, cats actually own you!) lowers cardiovascular disease risk by about 30%, according to research.
Dogs, cats and other pets enhance our life and help support our health and wellness. You can support their digestive health and quality of life, too. Research has found that S. boulardii has a bioregulatory effect on the intestinal flora helping to maintain a normal balance of friendly bacteria in the intestine that modulates immunity.
Although our supplement line is formulated for humans, our Saccharomyces 10B is pet-friendly! Support their gut health with this beneficial yeast that can manage diarrhea and other digestive discomfort.
Sources:
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/mood-boosting-power-of-dogs.htm
https://www.uclahealth.org/pac/animal-assisted-therapy
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3317329/https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/depression-symptoms-and-warning-signs.htm
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/blood-pressure-and-your-brain.htm
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIR.0b013e31829201e1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3317329/
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2020/10/19/cats-inmates-rehabilitate-each-other-through-animal-care-program/5798291002/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20651066/