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Science-Backed Benefits of Forest Walking That Will Surprise You

AHA Publisher — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 07:00:04 +0000

Karen Sanders via NaturalHealth365 – There is strong scientific evidence coming out of Japan about the anticancer effects of shinrin-yoku or forest bathing. In fact, according to Dr. Qing Li – one of the world’s foremost experts on shinrin-yoku, forest walking may prevent chronic illnesses like cancer, reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones. Chronic stress slowly kills. Environmental toxins like car fumes and industrial wastes, processed foods, and EMF pollution increase our cortisol levels and the risk for disease. Bottom line, most people in modern society are stressed out and need to relax – much more. A Growing Body of Evidence Supports the Idea of Getting Out in Nature May Just Be What You Need There’s simply no debate – forest bathing provides a natural environment of grass, trees, and fresh air – which can literally bring you back to life. Thankfully, there is mounting scientific data to prove that being in contact with nature is good for us physically, emotionally, and mentally. Naturally, it is widely thought that leaving the noise and stress of everyday life and spending more time in nature is good for us. Researchers have now been putting this understanding to the test. Unfortunately, only until recently, the practice of walking in the woods was never really investigated using laboratory equipment. Medical Studies Prove Forest Walking Offers Multiple Health Benefits The studies which began in Japan sought to find the physiological impact of forest bathing. Dr. Li, an associate professor at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo and current president of the Japanese Society of Forest Medicine, has conducted experiments to test forest bathing on human health. The studies found favorable effects on mood, stress level, and immune function. The scientists in Japan back up the work done by Boris Tokin, a Russian researcher, who discovered trees and other plants actually release chemicals called phytoncides. This chemical protects plants from harmful pathogens and can offer significant health benefits to humans. How Does Forest Walking Reduce Cancer Risk? The profile of the Mood States test showed that forest bathing trips significantly increased vigor in test subjects – while decreasing anxiety, depression, and anger. This factor alone was shown to decrease the risk of stress-related diseases like heart disease and cancer. The studies on immune system function showed an increase in the activity of natural killer (NK) cells – a component of the immune system in charge of preventing cancer. Wouldn’t it be nice if every (conventionally-trained) oncologist talked to their patients about this? Here Is One of the Best Studies to Date In one particular study, subjects experienced a 3-day/2-night trip to three different Japanese forests. Prior to the forest visit, the same subjects participated in a city tourist visit – consisting of a 3-day/2-night trip to Nagoya city, which had very few trees. The class of hotel and the lifestyle of the subjects during the stays in the hotels were the same for the city and forest trips. The walking courses of both trips were 2.5 km. Interestingly, the city tourist visit did not increase participants’ natural killer cell activity or the expression of selected intracellular perforin (more about this in a moment). These findings showed that forest bathing trips did increase natural killer cell activity, the number of NK cells, and the levels of perforin. You may be wondering – what is perforin? It’s actually a protein, known for breaking into cells that have been taken over by a virus or turned into a cancerous cell and allowing toxic enzymes in. This process destroys the cell from within. But, without this protein, the immune system can’t destroy rogue cells. Breathing in This Unique Chemical Compound May Be Responsible for Anticancer Effect Dr. Li attributes the increase in NK activity partly to breathing in air containing phytoncide – an essential oil from the wood – like α-pinene and limonene, which are antimicrobial volatile organic compounds emitted from trees to protect them from rotting and insects. By the way, phytoncides are natural preservatives and fungicides, classified as antimicrobial volatile organic compounds, and can also be used as essential oils in aromatherapy. These phytoncides induce NK cell activity, which kills tumor cells by releasing anticancer proteins. In fact, it’s been shown that ‘forest bathers’ have increased this activity by 50%. So, it makes sense, living in heavily forested areas is associated with a decreased risk of early mortality and cancer. For example, researchers compiled data from several major cities in Japan and found that populations that lived in areas with more trees had a decreased rate of several different types of cancer. Forest Walking Offers Immediate POSITIVE Results Walking in a forest or park strengthens your white blood cells, lowers your heart rate, reduces blood pressure and decreases the stress hormone – cortisol. By breathing in the aroma of the plants – we are saturating our body with chemicals known for their ability to prevent infections, viruses, and cancer. So, remember, the next time you’re in the forest – hug a tree and take a deep breath, because it may just save your life. Sources for this article: NIH.gov ScienceDaily.com hphpcentral.com smh.com.au To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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People Who Take Walks in Forests or Greenspaces May Have Higher Stress Coping Abilities

AHA Publisher — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 08:00:39 +0000

University of Tsukuba via News-Medical Net – Work causes so much stress that it’s become a global public health issue. Stress’s impact on mental and physical health can also hurt productivity and result in economic loss. A new study now finds that working people who regularly take walks in forests or greenspaces may have higher stress-coping abilities. In a study published in Public Health in Practice, researchers led by Professor Shinichiro Sasahara at the University of Tsukuba analyzed workers’ “sense of coherence” (SOC) scores, demographic attributes, and their forest/greenspace walking habits. SOC comprises the triad of meaningfulness (finding a sense of meaning in life), comprehensibility (recognizing and understanding stress), and manageability (feeling equipped to deal with stress). Studies have found factors such as higher education and being married can strengthen SOC, while smoking and not exercising can weaken it. People with strong SOC also have greater resilience to stress. The study used survey data on more than 6,000 Japanese workers between 20 and 60 years old. It found stronger SOC among people who regularly took walks in forests or greenspaces. SOC indicates mental capacities for realizing and dealing with stress. With workplace stress as a focal issue, there’s a clear benefit in identifying everyday activities that raise SOC. It seems we may have found one.” (Shinichiro Sasahara, Professor, University of Tsukuba) People find comfort in nature, and in countries like Japan urban greenspaces are increasing in popularity where nature isn’t readily accessible. This means many workers in cities can easily take a walk among the trees. The researchers divided the survey respondents into four groups based on their frequency of forest/greenspace walking. Then, they compared their walking activity against attributes such as age, income, and marital status, and with the respondents’ SOC scores, which were grouped as weak, middle, and strong. Those with strong SOC showed a significant correlation with both forest and greenspace walking at least once a week. This key finding implies the greater benefits of urban greening–not just environmental, but also socioeconomic. “Our study suggests that taking a walk at least once a week in a forest or greenspace can help people have stronger SOC,” explains Professor Sasahara. “Forest/greenspace walking is a simple activity that needs no special equipment or training. It could be a very good habit for improving mental health and managing stress.” To read the original article click here.

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Need Some Motivation to Get Outside? Discover 5 Proven Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature

AHA Publisher — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 08:00:36 +0000

Sara Middleton via NaturalHealth365 – You might not need scientific research to know that being outdoors and surrounded by nature is good for your well-being. In fact, the health benefits of nature have been widely accepted as part of individual and public health measures since the 19th century, and likely long before, in other ancient cultures. But thanks to the pandemic – which has driven millions of Americans indoors and created a fear over even outdoor dining … many of us could use extra motivation to get outside (yes, even with colder temperatures and shorter days). Having said that, recent data revealed in a meta-analysis could be just what we need to remind us all to step back into nature more often. Get into “Green Space” to Experience the Many Health Benefits of Immersing in Nature In October 2018, the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research published a systematic review and meta-analysis of over 140 studies. These studies – 103 of which were observational, the rest interventional – assessed the relationship between so-called “green space exposure” to nature and human wellness. The meta-analysis included over 290 million participants from 20 countries, including the US, the UK, Spain, France, Germany, Australia, and Japan. (Japan, for example, is well-known for its cultural practice of shinrin yoku or “forest bathing.”) The researchers define green space as “open, undeveloped land with natural vegetation.” Included in this definition are both natural landscapes as well as city parks and even tree-lined streets. Unfortunately, as the researchers note, there are now fewer and fewer “opportunities for human contact with nature.” This statement especially holds true here in the United States, where many Americans rarely take the opportunity to get outside, thanks to the sedentary, indoors-centric slant of modern lifestyles plus the rising number of people living in urban environments. But according to this and other research, there are plenty of reasons to buck the trend and get your family outside surrounded by nature. In fact, based on their compiled and analyzed data, researchers concluded that spending time in nature or green space significantly reduces the risk of these five issues: High blood pressure Diabetes Stroke Death from cardiovascular disease Death from all causes Being outside has also been suggested to improve birth outcomes (e.g., reduced risk of preterm delivery) and enhanced sleep quality and duration. More recent research from PLOS One even found that nature exposure boosts creativity and problem-solving by 50 percent! So, Why Are the Great Outdoors So Great for Us? Here Are the Leading Reasons… There’s still a lot to learn about why nature is so beneficial for human health. But there are a few things that researchers know: When you’re outside, you’re exposed to a wide range of bacteria – this natural exposure to different organisms could help strengthen your immune system. Science has shown that spending time in nature decreases circulating levels of the stress hormone cortisol and is, therefore, an important tool in the fight against the damaging effects of long-term stress and chronic inflammation. Being outside promotes the opportunity for socialization (picnic in the park, anyone?) Being outside tends to go hand-in-hand with physical activity, including walking, hiking, and other athletic activities. Pandemic or otherwise, it’s simply in your best interest to spend more time outdoors. And at a moment when having a healthy immune system is more important than ever, we encourage you to get your whole family some quality time in nature and enjoy what the natural world has to offer you. Sources for this article include: Sciencedirect.com, Sciencedaily.com, Sciencedaily.com, PLOS.org To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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Low-Income Preschoolers Exposed to Nurturing Care Have Higher IQ Scores Later On

AHA Publisher — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 08:00:30 +0000

University of Maryland School of Medicine via EurekAlert – Preschoolers living in impoverished communities who have access to a nurturing home environment have significantly higher intelligence quotient (IQ) scores in adolescence compared to those raised without nurturing care. That is the finding of a new international study conducted by University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers, which examined data from more than 1600 children from Brazil and South Africa who were followed from birth through their teenage years. Results were published this week in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Healthjournal. The researchers analyzed data from long-running studies conducted in Brazil and South Africa to assess whether children exposed to early adversities (such as extreme poverty, low birth weight, or pre-term birth) could reach their full learning potential by experiencing responsive caregiving and opportunities to learn in their home. They found that prenatal and early life adversities matter throughout life. Adolescents who had been exposed to multiple adversities early in life had lower IQ scores, were more likely to have difficulties adjusting socially and psychologically, and achieved a lower physical height compared to adolescents exposed to fewer adversities. They also found that being raised in a nurturing environment could significantly counteract the detrimental effect of early adversities on IQ and help children achieve their full intellectual potential. “We found that adolescents who were raised in nurturing environments had IQ scores that were on average 6 points higher than those who were not. This is a striking difference that has profound implications by increasing the intelligence of entire communities,” said study corresponding author Maureen Black, PhD, the John A Scholl and Mary Louise Scholl Endowed Professor of Pediatrics at UMSOM. “A nurturing environment also led to better growth and fewer psycho-social difficulties in adolescence, but it did not mitigate the effects of early adversities on growth and psycho-social difficulties.” Globally, more than 250 million children younger than 5 years are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential because of adversities that co-occur early in life and accumulate with age. In the U.S, almost one in five children are raised in poverty and 15 percent do not complete high school, with higher rates for children in Black and Hispanic families. Exposing these children to a nurturing environment, whether at home or in daycare or pre-school settings, can lead to cognitive benefits that last into adolescence and beyond. “I think our findings could apply to communities here in the U.S. where children are hungry, living in poverty or lacking in access to medical care,” Dr. Black said. Added study lead author Angela Trude, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in the UMSOM Department of Pediatrics, “Parents want to provide nurturing environments and we need to help them.” She said this includes interacting with young children in a positive way such as reading children’s books from the library, singing songs together, and playing games with numbers and letters. Children who engage in age-appropriate chores with adult supervision like picking up toys and clearing the table gain skills and feel good about helping. “Get children involved in friendly activities as much as possible rather than parking them in front of a screen,” Dr. Black said. “Children love to learn and in a nurturing environment they can grow into adolescents and adults with the abilities to care for themselves, their families, and their communities.”

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A Regular Dose of Nature May Improve Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

AHA Publisher — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 08:00:24 +0000

Wiley via EurekAlert – A study published in Ecological Applications suggests that nature around one’s home may help mitigate some of the negative mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire survey completed by 3,000 adults in in Tokyo, Japan, quantified the link between five mental-health outcomes (depression, life satisfaction, subjective happiness, self-esteem, and loneliness) and two measures of nature experiences (frequency of greenspace use and green view through windows from home). More frequent greenspace use and the existence of green window views from the home were associated with increased levels of self-esteem, life satisfaction, and subjective happiness, as well as decreased levels of depression and loneliness. “Our results suggest that nearby nature can serve as a buffer in decreasing the adverse impacts of a very stressful event on humans,” said lead author Masashi Soga, PhD, of The University of Tokyo. “Protecting natural environments in urban areas is important not only for the conservation of biodiversity, but also for the protection of human health.” To read the original article click here.

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Nature Might Be Better Than Tech at Reducing Air Pollution

AHA Publisher — Sat, 09 Nov 2019 08:00:15 +0000

Ohio State University via Science Daily – Adding plants and trees to the landscapes near factories and other pollution sources could reduce air pollution by an average of 27 percent, new research suggests. To read the original article click here.

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