Not that we needed another great reason to get a pet, but this reason rocks! Now we have research that shows dogs and cats help build healthy bacteria in your gut which builds a healthy immune system and protects you from allergies. Wow, go adopt a pet now if you don’t already have at least one.

The latest research shows how it works. Turns out it all starts in your gut, also know as our digestive system. No surprise, the gut has been labeled in recent years your second brain and the hub of your immune system.

In a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, mice exposed to dust from homes with dogs were protected against allergens known to trigger asthma. This dog-associated dust enriches the variety of gut bacteria in the mice with Lactobacillus johnsonii, a type of bacteria that protects the airway against allergens and infection by beefing up mucous membrane immunity. Cats have been found helpful too. The earlier in life your body is exposed the stronger your immune system becomes.

“In our previous research, we demonstrated that homes with indoor/outdoor cats also exhibited a more diverse house dust microbiome,” says study author Susan Lynch, PhD, associate professor of medicine at the University of California in San Francisco.

Many folks find it difficult or stressful to own a pet.  A natural solution to keeping pets calm and stress free is a new product from Pacific Herbs called Natural Pet Calm Herb Pack and can be found online at www.PacHerbs.com.

Reference: KE Fujimura et al. House dust exposure mediates gut microbiome Lactobacillus enrichment and airway immune defense against allergens and virus infection. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1310750111 (2013).