It's scientifically proven that dogs bring numerous benefits to humans. A new study reveals that dogs could slow down biological ageing in women.
As reported by the Independent website, this study was conducted with women from the American military suffering from post-traumatic stress who volunteered to train assistance dogs. These dogs would later be used to help injured soldiers.
"Emotional security and stability"
The researchers wanted to examine the length of telomeres (markers of cellular ageing) to determine the biological rate of ageing.
The results, published in the journal Behavioural Sciences, revealed that veterans who took part in the dog training programme showed an increase in telomere length.
"These relationships offer emotional security and stability, which can be particularly powerful for women," said Cheryl Krause-Parello, associate vice president for research at FAU and lead author of the study.
