New Study Hints Surprising Health Benefit of Growing Up with a Dog

A new study has found a surprising connection between having good gastrointestinal health and growing up with a dog.

Researchers at the University of Toronto shared the results of their study, which points to a very interesting health benefit. Here are the details.

According to a press release by the University of Toronto, the study's findings were published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology , highlighting a link between healthy gut microbiomes and living with a dog.

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"Dog lovers can attest to the range of benefits that come with having a canine companion, but improved gut health likely isn’t one of them," the University of Toronto explains.

Research from the university and Sanai Health found a potential benefit of growing up with a dog. "Exposure to dogs during childhood is linked to beneficial changes in gut bacteria, gut permeability, and blood biomarkers," the study shows.

The published study found that people who grew up with a dog between the ages of five and 15 were shown to have a reduced risk of developing Crohn's disease and having an overall healthier gut microbiome.

The team, led by Williams Turpin and Kenneth Croitroru of Mount Sinai Hospital’s Centre for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, says this discovery could be an important step toward lowering the risk of developing Crohn's disease.

“The idea behind predicting someone's risk of disease is that you can then also begin to understand who you might want to do something to try and prevent disease,” says Croitoru, per the press release.

It's not yet understood why this connection was found during their research and why a dog would make someone less prone to developing Crohn's disease, but it's an important puzzle piece still.

"We have established associations between environmental factors and Crohn’s and are now trying to understand how these environmental factors affect the triggering of the disease,” Croitoru explains.

The Study Also Hints at a Specific Pet That Appears to Increase the Risk of Developing Crohn's Disease

Interestingly, the study also looked at whether growing up with a large family had any impact on developing Crohn's and other animals which may have an impact.

The research found that people who grew up with a large family didn't seem to impact the potential of developing Crohn's disease negatively or positively. However, those who grew up with a bird during the study did have an increased risk of developing Crohn's later in life.

According to the press release on the study, Crohn's disease is known to be "strongly influenced by genetics," but Croitoru also points out a significant environmental indication.

However, genes can't be changed, but the research team hopes that by understanding the potential environmental factors that could prevent or increase the risk of developing Crohn's disease, people can make some changes to prevent the disease from developing.