Have a healthy New Year with a dog in your life
Article Source: examiner.com
Article by: Emily Randolph
Matthew McConaughey has the right idea. Dogs are great for our health. If you haven’t already added a furry four-footed friend to your family, add one as part of your New Year’s resolutions to becoming healthier! And please rescue a dog from one of our local shelters, swollen past capacity due to our economic climate. You will save a life and give yourself a big boost, too.
According to the American Pet Products Association, dogs (and cats, too) help with the following:
* Lower Blood Pressure - A recent study at the State University of New York at Buffalo found that people with hypertension who adopted a pet had lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations than did those who did not own one.
* Reduce Stress - Walking with a pet helps to sooth nerves and offers instant relaxation. The impact of a stressful situation is lesser on pet owners, especially males, than on those who do not own a pet.
* Prevent Heart Disease - Because pets provide people with faithful companionship, research shows they may also provide their owners with greater psychological stability, thus a measure of protection from heart disease.
* Lower Health Care Costs - People with pets actually make fewer doctor visits, especially for non-serious medical conditions.
* Fight Depression and Loneliness, promoting an interest in life.
A new study by researchers from Stanford University and the University of California also indicate that pets boost the immune system, even reducing one’s chance of developing non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Exposure to allergens - from pets - could boost the immune system as well, particularly in children born into households with pets.
