Nature is Health Care
Did you know that exposure to “green spaces” and “blue spaces” can provide health benefits? Have you ever noticed how walking in the forest makes you feel relaxed? This blog post explores how being in harmony with nature can improve our physical and mental health.
Connecting with nature can stimulate all five senses (sight, sound, taste, smell and touch). Experiencing green spaces improves quality of sleep1, and promotes cognitive functions and development in children.2
What can the forest do for you? Have you heard the terms forest bathing and forest therapy? Many research studies, articles and books describe how forest bathing (translation of Japanese practice “shinrin-yoku”) can impact health and well-being. Let us review a few specific examples.
Being in the forest for seven days can reduce chronic neck pain.3 Forest bathing can reduce blood pressure and improve mental health in people with hypertension.4 Forest bathing also decreased blood glucose levels5, activated the parasympathetic nervous system6, and improved immune functions by increasing a number of natural killer NK cells.7 So the next time we enjoy time in the forest, let us remember that we also harvest a multitude of healthy benefits.
In nature, we dwell well. The experience of nature improves our mental health, including stress reduction, decreased depression and anxiety.8 Forest bathing was effective in lowering depression and anxiety in stroke patients,9 as well as in those with psychotic and affective disorders.10
“Nature itself is the best physician.”
How does nature work as a medicine? Nature fosters stress reduction and stress recovery, while promoting physical activity.11 Walking in the forest (but not in an urban environment!) reduces the stress-hormone cortisol.12 Experiencing nature modulates the autonomous nervous system and can also produce anti-inflammatory effects.13 Like with medications, an optimum dose of nature is important; longer visits to green spaces were associated with better outcomes to treat depression and high blood pressure.14
Gardening can improve blood glucose levels, heart-rate variability and stress cortisol, as well as reduce depression, anxiety and body mass index.15 A recent review on integrative medicine suggest that contact with the Earth’s natural electric charges (known as earthing or grounding) can reduce inflammation, pain, and improve blood flow and sleep.16 For the most benefits, let us grow gardens and play barefoot in nature as much as possible.
In addition to forest bathing and gardening, therapeutic benefits of nature are also offered by sunlight and so called blue spaces like the ocean, sea, lakes and rivers. Blue spaces improve well-being and mental health while promoting recreation and physical activity.17 Sunlight is known to induce biosynthesis of vitamin D. But did you know that surgical patients staying in sunlit rooms took 20% less analgesic medications per hour, as compared to those who were located on the “dim” side of the hospital?18
In summary, our beautiful nature is health care. People living with diabetes, depression, hypertension, or anxiety, can receive clinical benefits from visiting a forest, hiking, camping, hammocking, indoor plants, or gardening. Nature-based therapies, such as aromatherapy and nutritional therapy, further emphasize how nature offers solutions to our disorders and supports our health.
Thank you, best wishes and enjoy nature.
Grzegorz Bulaj, Ph.D.
Founder
2. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2015; Environ Behav 2000
3. Ann Rehabil Med 2015
4. Environ Health Prev Med 2020
5. Int J Biometeorol 1998
6. Front Public Health 2018
7. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2016
8. Sci Adv 2019
9. Int J Neurosci 2017
10. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020
11. J Environ Psychol 1991; Curr Epidem Rep 2015
12. Front Public Health 2019; Int J Biometeorol 2019
13. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2015; ibid 2021
14. Sci Rep 2016
15. Prevent Med Rep 2017; BMJ Open 2020
16. Explore (NY) 2020
17. Health and Place 2013; Int J Hyg Environ Health 2017; Environ Int 2019
18. Psychosom Med 2005
