Pets are good for your health

Perhaps it's like telling us that proper diet and exercise are good for us or that not touching an open flame is a wise idea.  Science doesn't always figure things out before conventional wisdom does, and that's exactly what I think of the results from a new study from the University of Missouri-Columbia that indicates hormonal changes take place in humans when we interact with dogs.

Although the study focused on the relationship between people and canines, the results are likely to be duplicated across a wide variety of pets.  What makes this study stand out is that it was intended to show whether or not our interaction with pets could be a medical treatment.  The results seem to indicate just that.  Just wait until pet therapy is covered by your insurance carrier!

We've already known that pets can help reduce allergies in children, lower blood pressure, and ease or alleviate loneliness in the elderly, but this new study clearly has implications far beyond that — including the treatment of depression and stress-related disorders.

Take a look at this MSNBC article for more details on the study.

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