HEALTH & LIFESTYLE Feeling woof? Owning a pet might just be the answer

Top tips to help deal with IBS

EXPERTS often talk about the brain and gut being closely linked, but what does this mean in practical terms for people suffering with troublesome irritable bowel syndrome?

Stress, along with certain foods and ingredients, is known to be a key ‘trigger’ for IBS. This is why Senocalm has teamed up with mindfulness expert Emma Mills to launch their ‘Gutfulness’ campaign. It provides ‘quick, unusual and practical advice for busy women’, to help them alleviate stress and therefore better manage their IBS. If you’re thinking of getting a pet, you might be weighing up the pros of having a new friend, with the cons of looking after it. But have you thought about its positive effect on health? asks they’re less likely to be lonely.

And as new US research has found loneliness may represent a greater public health hazard than obesity, socialising clearly benefits health. Indeed, an analysis of 148 studies representing more than 300,000 participants found greater social connection is associated with a 50% reduced risk of early death.

“Pets provide their owners with companionship in their own right but they can also act as social catalysts by providing opportunities for social interactions,” says James. “For example, dogs can help to initiate conversations between strangers. People with pets are less likely to suffer from feelings of loneliness or social isolation.”

STUDIES have found that dog owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets. Pets can also reduce stress and anxiety levels, while playing with a dog or cat can elevate levels of the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine, which help you