The benefits of keeping fish are good for health

It is no secret that caring for animals brings health benefits. For most people, they probably prefer to have a dog or cat because they can be interacted with. Apart from these two animals, it turns out that fish is also quite popular. So, what benefits do you offer from raising fish?

Benefits of raising fish

Fish are quite popular pets because they have brightly colored scales so that they are quite easy to care for. In fact, for those who suffer from animal allergies, fish is the best alternative.

For those of you who want to start raising fish, you should first identify what are the benefits of these aquatic animals for health.

1. Reducing stress levels

One of the benefits offered by raising fish, especially ornamental fish, is reducing stress levels. This has been proven through research that has been published in PLoS one .

Generally, most studies have shown the benefits of interaction and physical contact between humans and animals, such as dogs and cats.

Therefore, researchers are trying to find out whether there is anything special about raising fish considering that it does not involve physical contact at all.

In this study, a systematic search was carried out. All forms of interaction with fish are considered. Starting from keeping fish in a private aquarium, seeing fish in a public aquarium, to watching them on video.

After 19 studies, six of them showed that seeing fish in an aquarium helps reduce stress and anxiety. This can be seen when several participants were asked to see the fish, both in the video and in the aquarium.

Heart rate and blood pressure, which are used as measures of stress, have decreased. Therefore, researchers concluded that the benefits of raising fish can help reduce stress levels for their owners.

2. Helps manage diabetes

Did you know that raising fish can help some teenagers manage diabetes? Reporting from News in Health, a study shows that caring for fish can help adolescents with diabetes manage their disease.

A group of adolescents with type 1 diabetes were asked to feed and check the water content of the aquarium containing the fish. Then, participants also carry out routine maintenance, such as changing the water tank every week.

At the same time, the parents of these teenagers were also invited to pay attention to their blood sugar levels. The result, adolescents who diligently care for their fish tend to be more disciplined in checking their own blood glucose compared to adolescents who do not raise fish.

The benefits of keeping this one fish are good enough so that teenagers routinely check themselves independently while caring for pets.

3. Helps calm the mind

Apart from reducing stress, the benefits of raising fish can also help you calm your mind. One of the sounds from the environment that most people find quite soothing is the sound of running water. There are other types of music that relax the mind, such as the sound of sea waves, rainstorms, and the sound of rivers.

The specialty of the sound of running water turns out to be what makes some people even like fishing in the river. Not because they catch fish, but they can enjoy the sound and natural beauty around them.

Meanwhile, those who keep fish in an aquarium may prefer to bring a calming effect to the house. The reason is, after the aquarium is decorated with rocks and plants, watching the fish swim will also reduce stress levels and anxiety.

Apart from that, the sound of bubbles gurgling from the tank, the color of the fish and the background of the aquarium also add to the therapeutic effect. It is not surprising that fish aquariums are often seen in the doctor's office waiting room so that patients are calmer before entering the consultation room.

4. Good for child development

Keeping fish in an aquarium not only provides health benefits for adults, it's also good for children's development. Apart from reducing anxiety and calming children down, fish also help children learn their responsibility, nature and creativity.

What's more, fish are allergy-free animals that are great for children, so they can learn to be responsible. Starting from supervising to helping with feeding and other care.

A child's imagination can also be developed when they build a fish 'playground' and put plants in the aquarium. When they successfully complete their task while raising fish, the children's self-confidence increases.

The benefit of raising fish is to also help children hone social skills because fish can become a new conversation topic among their friends.

Tips for keeping fish well

Although keeping fish does not cause allergies like dogs and cats, these aquatic animals can actually cause a number of diseases. Starting from transmitting bacteria salmonella to streptococcus iniae which can infect the skin.

Therefore, so that you can maximize the benefits of raising fish, there are several things that need to be done to avoid disease.

• Find out what types of fish are compatible with other family members.
• Do not allow children under 5 years old to care for fish alone.
• Always wash your hands with soap before and after feeding.
• Use gloves when feeding fish if their hands are injured.
• Avoid cleaning the tank near people with weak immune systems.

The benefits offered by raising fish are good for health. However, don't forget to maintain personal hygiene so you don't catch diseases that can be carried by animals, huh!