Illustrated News
Petting other people dogs can boost your health
August 10, 2023
Summary
“I think it is safe to say that animals are beneficial to our mental and physical health," says Nancy Gee, a professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction at Virginia Commonwealth University.
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Gee says evidence is accumulating that levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop in people after just 5 to 20 minutes spent interacting with dogs — even if it's not their pet. "Also, we see increases in oxytocin, that feel-good kind of bonding hormone," she says.
And it's not just humans that benefit from these brief exchanges. "What I love about this research is that it's a two-way street," Gee says. "We see the same thing in the dogs, so the dogs' oxytocin also increases when they interact with a human."
Dog ownership has also been linked to positive health outcomes, including better heart health and increased physical activity.
[https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/08/03/1190728554/dog-pet-mental-health-benefits](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/08/03/1190728554/dog-pet-mental-health-benefits)