by Dr. Eric Balcavage | Mar 3, 2016 | Blog
Most pet lovers find their furry, feathered, hoofed, and scaly companions count among their best friends. But pets aren’t only good company — research shows they greatly benefit your mental and physical health. Pets help the developing immune system Petting a furry friend not only brings a sense of comfort and calm, it’s good for the immune system, too. A study in Finland showed that babies who grew up in a home with cats and dogs were 44 percent less likely to develop ear infections and 29 percent less likely to receive antibiotics in their first year compared to babies from pet-free homes. The theory is that exposure to bacteria brought in from outside by pets helps the developing immune system learn how to react properly to germs in the environment. And the more time the pet spent outdoors, the greater the benefit. Other studies show that children who live with dogs and cats in the first year of life are less likely to develop allergies to those animals later in life. Pets help you live longer and lower disease risk Babies aren’t the only ones benefiting from pets: People with pets have lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels than non pet-owners, regardless of weight, diet, and smoking habits. In subjects who have experienced a heart attack, dog ownership decreases the odds for death the first year post-heart-attack from 1 in 15 to 1 in 87! In people undergoing stress tests or physical examinations, the presence of a dog during the exam lowered heart rate and blood pressure. “Seizure-alert” animals are trained to signal their owners prior to a seizure...
by Dr. Eric Balcavage | Feb 15, 2016 | Uncategorized
Methylation Monday Episode #9 www.TheMethylationDoctor.com | Dr Eric Balcavage discusses “Drug Induced Anxiety” (D.I.A). Many doctors will put patients on SSRI for depression and while these SSRI may alleviate depressive symptoms in the short term they may wind up causing anxiety and anxiety like symptoms (insomnia, gut issues,...
by Dr. Eric Balcavage | Jan 25, 2016 | Blog
Dr. Balcavage discusses what test are the foundational tests to run to evaluate your chronically sick...
