![]() Trees also seem to help our heart health. Though it’s not clear exactly why this would be, a prior study suggests that trees may improve immunity thanks to certain aromatic compounds they release. Specifically, one study found that elderly patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease experienced decreases in perforin and granzyme B expressions, as well as decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines-all related to better immune function-after they visited forests rather than urban areas. Studies have shown that spending short amounts of time in forests seems to benefit our immune systems. These findings and many others-including an earlier review of the research-show how even short amounts of time in a forest can give us a break from our frenzied lifestyles.īesides helping us breathe, being around trees may improve our health in other ways, too. One study found that people living in proximity to trees had better “amygdala integrity”-meaning, a brain structure better able to handle stressors. It may be that some of these benefits have to do with how forests affect our brains. Those who gazed at a winter forest reported significantly better moods, more positive emotions, more vigor, and a greater sense of personal restoration afterwards than those who gazed at the urban scene. Before and after, the participants filled out questionnaires related to their moods and emotions. The trees in the forest had straight trunks and no leaves (because of winter), and there was no other shrubbery below the trees-in other words, no green the urban landscape consisted of buildings and roads. In another recent study, Polish participants spent 15 minutes gazing at either a wintertime urban forest or an unforested urban landscape. Indeed, various other studies suggest that the practice of “ forest bathing”-deliberately spending time among the woods-can help us deal with the stresses and strains of urban living. “The psychological benefits of walking through forests are very significant, and forest environments are expected to have very important roles in promoting mental health in the future,” the authors write. The results were even stronger for people who were more anxious to begin with. In all cases, the participants walking in a forest experienced less anxiety, hostility, fatigue, confusion, and depressive symptoms, and more vigor, compared to walking in an urban setting. The forests and urban centers were in 52 different locations around the country, and about a dozen participants walked in each area. In one recent study, 585 young adult Japanese participants reported on their moods after walking for 15 minutes, either in an urban setting or in a forest. And much of that research has been conducted in forests. Probably the most well-researched benefit of nature exposure is that it seems to help decrease our stress, rumination, and anxiety. Trees help us feel less stressed and more restored ![]() Here are some of the more provocative findings from recent research on how trees increase human well-being.
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