- Every time you gaze lovingly into your dog's eyes,
oxytocin is released. (chimes jingle)
(bright music)
One positive outcome from the pandemic:
pet adoption was at a record high.
But what's the science between owning a pet and your health?
Come on, boys, let's go.
Come on, Zeff.
Today, I'm gonna talk to you about the medical benefits
of owning a dog. (bright music)
Okay.
The biggest factor for me is stress.
I love when their tails are wagging while they eat.
And what does stress mean?
Stress means many things, not just "I feel stressed out,"
but it's your cardiovascular health,
things like cortisol levels.
Having decreased cholesterol levels.
Let's take a deep dive into each of these
with the science and the medicine behind it.
(upbeat music)
Our blood pressure is probably one
of the most important factors in our overall health
and millennials aren't thinking about it.
And when we understand that owning
a pet reduces your blood pressure,
that's where we really see the importance here.
According to recent analysis from Blue Cross Blue Shield,
blood pressure is on the rise fastest
among those in their 30s and 40s.
That beats out depression, anxiety, diabetes.
This is real stuff that we gotta be thinking about.
I gotta go take these guys on their daily walk.
Dog owners often say the best thing
about dogs is their unconditional love,
but new research suggests there's another benefit too.
Dog owners on average walk 22 minutes more per day,
compared to those who didn't.
And they weren't just waddling, they were
actually walking briskly, which had a big effect
on their overall cardiovascular health.
Dog ownership has a big connection with our health
and our physical activity, but what's the science?
It's all about endorphins. (bright music)
Endorphins or polypeptides are made by the pituitary gland
and part of our central nervous system.
Endorphins primarily help one deal with stress,
reduce feelings of pain.
The pleasure effect associated with the endorphins
is partly related to increased dopamine production
that occurs due to endorphin activity.
Zeff, did you know that endorphins naturally enhance
our reward circuits?
Why is that important?
Since humans naturally seek to increase pleasure
and avoid pain, dog ownership clearly makes sense.
More endorphins, less pain, greater reward.
Thanks Fido.
Another big factor that affects our health
with dog ownership is oxytocin.
You may have heard of it as the love hormone,
but what is oxytocin? (chimes jingle)
Oxytocin is a hormone that's secreted by the pituitary,
a little pea-sized organ in our brain.
Every time you gaze lovingly into your dog's eyes,
oxytocin is released.
How did they study this?
They actually measured pupil size in both dogs
and in humans, which reflected increased levels
of oxytocin in our urine, who knew?
(calm, bright music)
Here's one for you.
Dog ownership has a profound effect on our cortisol levels.
If cortisol doesn't really make sense to you,
let me break it down.
Cortisol is a stress hormone.
You know, the whole flight or fight idea, that's cortisol.
So when we have increased levels of cortisol
for whatever reason, we're having inflammation,
we're having stress in our body.
Owning a dog reduces cortisol,
which improves our overall health.
Dog ownership and cortisol levels are
so importantly tied into our immune system.
Reduced cortisol, improved immune system.
Over, over.
Good news, dogs and cats are equally as beneficial.
And other animals, like birds and fish,
have proven to be helpful as well.
Interestingly, horses have a really positive effect
in our overall health because there's something
about taking control of such a large animal.
So I wish I could write a prescription
for you to get a pet right now, but that's up to you.
Has owning a pet made you feel a little bit better?
Please share your thoughts and comments below.
Mwah! (calm, bright music)