Have you ever wondered if there are more natural ways to lower your high blood pressure,

guard against Alzheimer's, lose weight, feel better?

Well, it turns out there is.

Welcome to the Nutrition Facts podcast.

I'm your host, Dr. Michael Greger.

Today we look at the effects of animals on our health, and we start with a question,

do pet parents like me or paw rents live longer?

Intense social connectivity is a blue zone attribute scrutinized for its potential role in supporting longevity.

Does slobbery social contact count?

More than two-thirds of U.S. households include a pet, including mine, and in awe-inspiring

paper published in the prestigious journal Science entitled OxyTose and Gaze Positive Loop and

the Co-Evolution of Human Dog B bonds, researchers found that petting or looking into

the eyes of a canine companion leads to oxytocin relief in the brains of both the humans

and the dogs, the same love hormone that bonds breastfeeding mothers to their infants.

I was reading about the potential mechanisms by which having an animal companion might improve

survival after a heart attack when I ran across a passage about a profound about the potential mechanisms by which having an animal companion might improve survival

after a heart attack, when I ran across a passage about a profound cardiovascular response

when petting dogs or horses.

This response usually takes the form of a significant reduction in the heart rate and

blood pressure.

I can totally see that.

But then the next sentence, maybe do a double-take.

...