A little fresh air can go a long way when it comes to your lungs. But, aside from less exposure to pollution, growing up in the countryside may have an added health benefit. According to a recent study, children exposed to dogs or farm animals in their first year of life had a reduced risk of asthma. Researchers evaluated nationwide data from children born in Sweden between 2001 and 2010. They found that school-aged children raised around farm animals in their first year of life had a significantly lower risk for developing asthma! In fact, these children were 52 percent less likely to develop asthma than kids who had no exposure. Though man’s best friend didn’t have quite the impact, kids who had exposure to dogs in their first year were 13 percent less likely to have asthma by age six than kids who had no exposure.
READ MORE: Why Scientists Want to Study Dog Germs
