Health Benefits from Human-Animal Interactions

There is nothing like the feeling of being reunited with a beloved pet. A pet’s unconditional love can do more than keep you company. Pets can help with stress reduction, heart health, and emotional well-being.

A staggering 68% of American households own a pet. Who benefits from having an animal in their home? Which type of pet is best for your health?

The NIH and the Mars Corporation have partnered for the past ten years to answer pet nutrition questions.

Scientists are examining the potential mental and physical health benefits for different animals, from fish to guinea pigs to dogs to cats.

Possible Health Effects

The research on interactions between humans and animals is still very new. Although some studies have shown positive effects on health, the results are mixed.

It has been proven that interacting with animals can reduce cortisol, a stress-related hormone, and lower blood pressure. Studies have shown that animals can help you feel more connected, reduce loneliness, and improve mood.

A variety of studies are funded by the NIH/Mars Partnership. They focus on our relationships with animals. Researchers are studying how animals can influence child development. They are studying the interactions of animals with children who have autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other conditions.

Dr Layla Esposito oversees NIH’s Human-Animal Interaction Research Program. She says, “There is no one way a pet can help someone with a particular condition.” Is your goal to increase your physical activity? A dog could be a great option for you. Walking a dog daily is a good way to increase your physical activity. Sometimes watching fish swim can help you feel calm if your goal is to reduce stress. There is no one type of .”

The NIH funds large-scale surveys that aim to determine the number of pets owned by people and their relationship to their health.

Dr James Griffin is a child development expert at NIH. He says, “We’re trying [to tap into] the subjective quality of our relationship with the animal–that aspect of the bond that humans feel with animals-and how it translates into some health benefits.”

Animals Helping People

Animals can be comforting and supportive. Therapy dogs are particularly adept at this. Sometimes, they are brought to hospitals and nursing homes to reduce stress and anxiety.

“Dogs can be very present. “Dogs are very present when someone is in pain. They know how to love and support them,” Dr Ann Berger, a doctor and researcher at the NIH Clinic Center in Bethesda. “Their attention is on the person .”

Berger assists people with terminal cancer. She helps them to practise mindfulness and reduce stress.

Berger states that mindfulness is built on attention, intention and compassion. All of these things are something animals bring to the table. It is something that people have to learn. This is what animals do .”

Because animals can expose people to more germs, researchers are investigating whether it is safe to bring animals into hospitals. Esposito said that a current study examines dogs’ safety visiting children with cancer. Scientists will test the hands of the children to determine if germs have been transmitted from the dog.

Dogs can also help in the classroom. A study showed that ADHD children could be helped by dogs to focus their attention. Researchers enrolled two groups of ADHD children in 12-week-long group therapy sessions. One group of children read to a therapy dog for 30 minutes once a week. The second group read to puppets resembling dogs.

Children who read to real animals had better social skills, more cooperation, sharing, and volunteering. They also had fewer behavioural problems.

Another study showed that children with autism spectrum disorder felt calmer playing with guinea pigs in class. Their anxiety levels fell when the children were able to spend 10 minutes with guinea pigs in a group setting. Children also showed better social interaction and were more involved with their peers. Researchers believe that animals provide unconditional acceptance and comfort, making them ideal companions for children.

Griffin states that animals can be used to build bridges between people. Griffin says that researchers are working to understand the effects of these animals and how they can be beneficial to others.

Other surprising ways animals can help you are not obvious. Recent research has shown that teens with diabetes can manage their disease by caring for fish. A group of teenagers with type 1 diabetes was asked to care for their pet fish twice daily, checking the water level and feeding it. Caretaking included water changes every week and feeding the fish twice daily. This was done with children reviewing their blood sugar logs with their parents.

Researchers monitored how often these teens checked their blood sugar levels. Teens who kept fish were more disciplined in checking their blood glucose levels than teens who didn’t have a fish to feed. This is vital for their health.

Although pets can provide various health benefits, they may not be suitable for all people. Recent research suggests that children exposed to pets early in life may be less likely to develop allergies or asthma later. However, pets can cause more harm than good for those allergic to certain animals.

Helping Each Other

Pets can also come with new responsibilities. Owning a pet means knowing how to take care of and feed it. The NIH/Mars funds research that examines the effects of human-animal interactions on both the pet and the owner.

It is possible for animals to feel tired and stressed. Children need to learn how to identify signs of stress in pets and when to avoid them. Animal bites can lead to serious injury.

Esposito says that dog bite prevention is something parents should consider.

The research will continue to investigate the health benefits of owning a pet. Esposito states, “We’re trying out what’s going well, what’s not, and what’s safe for both humans and animals.”