Does Your Furry Friend Affect Your Health?

Man’s best friend and your health’s best friend! Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden are reporting in the journal JAMA Pediatrics that early childhood exposure to dogs and farm animals is linked to lower asthma rates.

The link was dramatically stronger in farm animals—where exposure in early childhood resulted in a 50% lower risk of asthma later.

This research supports previous research from the University of Arizona that showed canines might also have a "probiotic effect" on humans. Microbes in our gut can have profound effects on our health, both our mental health as well as our physical well-being.

Forget the yogurt and kiss that pup!