This one is for all dog lovers! A recent study has some good news for canine lovers and might even be a reason to bring home one.
In a recent study, researchers have stated that having a dog at home can help improve teenagers' mental health. The research, which was published in the Cell Press journal iScience, explains why dogs prompt changes in the microbes in our bodies and how it boosts the mental health of the individual.
“Raising dogs has beneficial effects, especially for adolescents, and these effects may be mediated through symbiosis with microorganisms,” says author Takefumi Kikusui of Azabu University in Japan, who led the work.
About the study:
The research analysed survey results from 343 adolescents who were both mentally and physically fit, who participated in the Tokyo Teenager Cohort Study. Of them, 96 were dog owners.
It was observed that teenagers who owned dogs at 13 years old had significantly lower mental health issues by the age of 14 than those who did not own dogs.
Researchers also analysed the saliva of the dog owners and non-dog owners. The microbiome composition showed differences, suggesting that owning a dog shifted the abundances of specific oral bacteria. The experts supposed that some of those bacteria might have a link with the adolescents’ psychological scores.
They then treated the laboratory mice with the microbiota from dog-owning teens. It was noticed that mice with the dog-owning microbiome spent more time sniffing their cage mates. The animals also showed a more social approach toward a trapped cage-mate.
The researchers mentioned that while more research is needed, the results suggest that a pet dog can indeed bring about a change to improve the mental health of individuals.