Hey there, viewers. Have you ever heard the saying, “a dog is a man’s best friend”? Well,
there’s truth to this, in more ways than one. Not only are dogs fun,
but having a furry friend by your side can benefit your heart as well!
Today, we’re going to talk about some of the ways having a dog makes you healthier. Do they
help you stay active? Can they actually lower your cholesterol? Hang on a second,
can owning a dog actually lower your stress levels? We’re talking all that AND more…
That’s right, having a dog can lower your level of stress. Did you
know that anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States?
It affects 18% of the adult population each year. That’s over 40 million people!
While anxiety is treatable, not every method will work for you. A dog is just
another thing you can try. Owning a pet can do a lot for your mental health in general,
but when it comes to anxiety, it really helps. Studies show that
just having your dog around allows your stress hormones to decrease.
This helps you feel relaxed not only when you’re at home, but when you’re out of the house.
You see, a dog will lower your blood pressure. People who own dogs are
revealed to have naturally lower blood pressure levels than people who don’t.
There are a few reasons for this. Number one, if you own a dog, you’re more likely to be active.
A lot of physical effort goes into caring for a dog. Think about it, you’re constantly taking
it out on walks. Sometimes, you’re walking it for an hour at a time. You may even bring it
to the dog park to throw around a frisbee. Not only is your dog getting exercise, so are you!
It’s not just the physical side that lowers your blood pressure. Just having
your dog in your presence is enough to make it decrease. Dogs are so energetic and happy,
they always find a way to put a smile on your face. Low blood pressure decreases your risk
of heart disease. So in a way, if you take care of your dog, they’ll take care of you.
Actually, while we’re on the topic of heart disease, there is a direct link between
cardiovascular disease and people who own dogs. Research has confirmed this over the years. People
who live alone with just a dog in the house have a 33% better chance of surviving a heart attack.
There was also a group of heart attack survivors examined. Out of the 200,000 people studied,
only 6% of them had dogs. While the absence of a canine in your home is certainly not
the sole reason for suffering a heart attack, it may very well contribute.
Loneliness is a silent killer. Seriously! Some experts suggest that living alone can shorten a
person’s lifespan by as much as 15 years, the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes per day.
This is why having a dog around might make a huge difference, especially after something like the
Covid pandemic where millions have been on their own. Having a dog can help you fight feelings of
isolation and loneliness. Sometimes, all it takes is a quick snuggle session to feel a
whole lot better. Dogs will show you unconditional love. This is useful when you’re in a dark place.
Someone struggling with loneliness and depression will benefit from having an
energetic, furry little creature in their home. Not only do you now have a companion,
you’re also pretty busy. Taking care of a pet can be quite the task. You have to feed it,
take it to the vet, and bring it out for walks. While this may seem like
an extra pile added to your workload, it has given you something to care for.
Here’s something else that’s interesting. Studies show 4 out
of 5 dog owners find themselves speaking with other people while taking them out on walks.
If you’ve recently gone through a breakup, you may be able to meet someone new.
There are a lot of single people at the dog park, trust me! When it comes to older folks,
they are 36% less likely to report feeling lonely if they have a dog.
Another study said that when a person owns a dog,
they feel much more of an attachment to their community as well as personal relationships.
Weirdly enough, dogs can also help a person live a more independent life. There’s a difference
between having an emotional support dog and a service dog. An emotional support dog helps people
deal with mental health issues, while a service dog assists people with physical disabilities.
The service dog allows people to get around easier than they would if they didn’t have assistance.
Close to 50% of service dogs are trained to help people with mobility issues.
Another 20% are trained to help military veterans with PTSD.
Close to a quarter of service dogs train to help people with autism. As for the others,
they help people with a variety of issues including diabetes and epilepsy.
For people with Alzheimer's disease, a service dog gives them companionship.
A number of them are trained to help search for Alzheimer’s patients when they’ve gone missing.
They will also guide a person with Alzheimer’s when they’re navigating through a public space.
Are you going through a loss of some kind? Have you experienced sudden trauma in your life?
Dogs are great for helping you deal with a life crisis. Their
presence has a powerful psychological benefit. For the veterans with PTSD,
having a service dog at your side can help you not just mentally, but physically as well.
Moving on, let’s talk about how dogs benefit the immune system. That’s right,
owning a dog will decrease your chances of getting sick. I’m not just talking about
heart disease and things like that. I’m talking about something as simple as the common cold.
Owning a dog can boost your microbiome. This is a collection of all the bacteria and other
particles that live inside your body. A stronger microbiome equals a stronger immune system.
When you live with a dog, you’re exposing yourself to different types of bacteria
you wouldn’t normally be around. When your body comes in contact with this bacteria,
your microbiome is put to work. The harder it works, the stronger your immune system gets.
Evidence also shows that dogs can help children suffering from allergies and asthma.
Are you having trouble keeping your cholesterol under control? Well owning a dog can help you
reduce your levels of bad cholesterol. Remember how walking your dog can lower your blood
pressure? Well, the same goes for your LDL. This is the scientific term for “bad cholesterol”. The
higher your cholesterol is, the greater chance you have of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
A dog also has a significant impact on your triglyceride levels. Triglycerides
are a type of fat found in your blood. Compared to people who don’t own dogs,
studies show that people with dogs have lower triglyceride levels. Keep in mind,
it’s still unknown exactly why dogs have an impact on this type of fat.
By now, you’ve probably gotten the picture.
Dogs have a tremendous effect on your health. But triglycerides are things not a lot of us think of,
or even know about. Most of us are simply busy trying to control our weight. Luckily,
dogs can help with that as well. Owning a dog can help you stay in shape.
How often do you go out with your dog? If you spend more than a half hour outside with
your furry friend, you’re healthier than you realize. Think about all the calories you’re
burning. You could simply be walking down the sidewalk, or running around in the park.
A Canadian study from years ago found that people who took their dog out on
the regular engaged in about 300 minutes of walking every week.
As for the people who didn’t own dogs, they only exercised half as much.
If you’re routinely bringing your dog out, you’re definitely burning calories.
Over time, you’re going to lose some weight. Even people who don’t own dogs can benefit from this.
How, you ask? Well, you can get a part-time job as a dog walker, or volunteer at a dog shelter.
Here’s a strange one. Did you know that dogs can make you look more attractive?
This is actually not as complex as you may think. Like, there’s not some wild
psychology behind this. To put it simply, people love dogs. I mean,
what’s not to love? They’re friendly, loyal, and happy to see you when you come home. Usually,
the only downsides to owning one are their barking and shedding hair.
Research has shown that men are more likely to get a woman’s phone number
when they have a dog with them. Other studies have shown that when people look at pictures,
those with dogs look much happier than people who don’t have them.
This is often why people swipe right on those who appear with dogs on their dating profiles.
Polls have shown that people take more pictures of their dogs than of their significant other.
There’s also reason to believe that dogs make us better caregivers to humans. You see, dogs
give off a vibe that reminds us of an infant. In a way, we see dogs the same way we see human baby’s,
fun and adorable. This triggers the natural caregiver response in humans. So in the end,
there may be some truth to the idea that owning a pet can prepare you for taking care of a child.
A dog can do so much for your health. But, it doesn't just stop at dogs. There are a
lot of different things you can do to become a healthier person. It’s all about lifestyle. Let’s
keep the conversation going with a couple more videos, shall we? Here’s what you need to know…
Check out Foods That Can Clean Your Arteries & Keep You From Having a Heart Attack.
You should also look at 8 Foods That Aren’t As Healthy As You Think.
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both,
and learn more about how to become healthier. What’s your favorite dog story?
Sound off in the comment section, and start a conversation with our Bestie community…