Day 158: One thing I learned today
After listening to a lecture by Joan Borysenko, I learned that men who have heart attacks have a 5% chance of dying in the first year however this risk decreases to 1% if they have a dog.
Dogs provide unconditional love. Petting or playing with a pup releases oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins. Oxytocin decreases stress, lowers blood pressure and lowers heart rate.
In another study, participants included 3.4 million Swedish adults aged 40-80 years old over a 12 years span. Dog ownership was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. This could be hypothesized due to dog owners walk more and are more engaged in exercise than non-dog owners.
As you may know, I am a HUGE dog lover. Sometimes i am annoyed by having to walk them but most of the time it is nice to get outside and add some movement into my day. I add between 1.5-2 miles extra per day walking them.
Sources:
Institute for Integrative Nutrition, The Cutting Edge of Mind-Body Medicine Immunology, Neuroscience and Nutrition in the Device of Health and Happiness, Joan Borysenko, PhD.
Mubanga M, Byberg L, Nowak C, et al. Dog ownership and the risk of cardiovascular disease and death – a nationwide cohort study. Scientific Reports (Nature Publisher Group). 2017;7:1-9.
Yegorova M. Dog ownership leads to lower risk of cardiovascular disease. University Wire. Dec 04 2017.
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