Pets are great companions, and especially dogs are known to be super friendly. Adopting a pet dog may bring some extra responsibility and work with it, but it also has many benefits. Apart from giving you affection and teaching you a lot of valuable social skills, a pet dog can be great for your overall health as well.
A recent study from 2017 involving more than 3 million people between the ages of 40 and 80, found that having a pet dog could decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 36% and it could lower the chances of a sudden heart attack by 11%. Â
In today’s post, I am going to tell you how adopting a pet dog can contribute to better cardiovascular health; therefore, keep reading to learn more.
Dogs can help you fight stress
These days everybody has busy, hectic, and stressful schedules. Looming deadlines at work and the never-ending exams at school have everyone stressed. Though some levels of stress are normal, chronic stress can be a severe problem that can damage your health and lead to several dangerous diseases.
Apart from causing various psychological conditions like anxiety, depression, and insomnia, stress can also be very detrimental for your cardiovascular health.
When you are stressed, the levels of cortisol in your body are increased significantly, and studies suggest that high levels of cortisol can contribute to a rise in blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides. These are some of the most common risk factors for strokes and heart diseases.
Some studies also suggest that stress can promote the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Therefore, countering stress is essential, and adopting a pet can help a lot with fighting stress.
When you play with your pet dog and get affection from it, your body releases hormones and neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which can counter the effect of cortisol and improve your mood dramatically.
You should also consider employing other stress combating techniques like using CBD products. If you are interested in gaining the stress countering, and several other benefits of CBD, check out Vitality Health CBD products
Pet dogs can get you more active
Your lifestyle is a significant contributor to your cardiovascular health, and a sedentary lifestyle, with little physical activity, does put you at a higher risk of heart diseases.
You should try to get some regular exercise, and adopting a dog can help a lot in this regard. It is not easy to motivate yourself for exercise every day; however, when you are responsible for a dog, you need to take them on regular walks, which allows you to get exercise as well.
Furthermore, dogs are very playful pets, especially when they are puppies. Taking care of a puppy gets you active as well when you play with them and chase them around. Therefore, adopting a pet can contribute to a massive improvement in your physical activity and your cardiovascular health.
Having a pet dog can improve the performance of your immune system
A healthy, properly functioning immune system contributes to improvement in every aspect of our physical and mental health. The immune system is like the body’s natural defense against diseases and infections, and according to several studies, having a pet in the house can improve the immune system of the residents.
Several studies have proven that children who live in homes with pet dogs are less likely to get ear infections and allergies.
Dogs can make you happy and help in fighting depression
Depression is a very devastating psychological disorder, and it can also have a damaging effect on your physical health. Apart from the sadness, hopelessness, and constant feeling of dread, depression also comes with an increased level of stress hormones like cortisol, and it leads to higher glucose levels as well. Both of these factors contribute to an increased risk of heart diseases.
Moreover, depression makes people unable to carry out healthy habits that are good for the heart, which can further contribute to the deterioration of the heart.
According to statistics, an estimated 1 in every 10 American adults has to deal with some form of depression in their lives. Moreover, the number can be as high as 33% for heart attack patients.
Fighting depression is not natural, and it can take a lot of time; however, many studies have agreed that having an emotional support pet, like a dog, can have tremendously positive impacts on depression patients, and it can also decrease the risk of developing a major depressive disorder.
Dogs give depression patients the authentic love and affection that they need. Moreover, taking care of a pet dog can provide patients with a sense of purpose and pull them out of the bottomless pit of depression.
To sum it all up, adopting a pet dog can have many advantages, one of which is that It can improve your heart health and save you from many potentially terminal diseases. Therefore, if you are thinking about adopting a dog, it is an excellent decision, and if you already have one, take care of it, and give it loads of love, because it can save your life.
Author’s bio:
Currently a student of English Literature, in her final years, Carolina Martel is passionate about writing her thoughts in words. She takes up writing projects in her leisure time to accompany her studies. Generally, she understands the essence of writing on every topic but especially those that relate to her field. She regularly writes at https://shadedco.com/.
