How Are Dogs Beneficial to Your Health?
Dogs and humans have lived together in harmony for centuries. The human-dog relationship is a special one and can actually be beneficial to human health.
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Endorphins
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Petting or spending time with a dog can produce endorphins in a human brain. Endorphins are hormones that make people happy, combat stress and relieve pain.
Decreased Blood Pressure
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Dog ownership can relieve stress, a major cause of high blood pressure. In fact, a study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) showed that pet owners were able to recover from stress more quickly when accompanied by their pets.
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Decreased Recovery Time
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According to "New York Magazine," dog owners recover from heart problems more quickly than those who do not own dogs. A study by the NIH found that dog ownership helped heart patients live longer following a heart attack.
Increased Exercise
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Dog owners tend to get more exercise that nondog owners. Dogs require daily walks, which benefit the owner as well as the dog.
Symptom Prediction
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Dogs can help predict seizures, detect cancerous tumors and low blood sugar and help people with Parkinson's Disease live a more normal life by alerting them when their feet "freeze" while walking. A nudge to the foot from the dog helps the foot to move again normally.
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References
- Photo Credit dog walking image by Jana Lumley from Fotolia.com
