Scientists advise visiting nature to improve health

0

A study by scientists from the Max Planck Institute has demonstrated the health-improving effect of walks in nature, both physically and mentally.

German researchers have found that being in nature improves brain health. They randomly divided the participants in their study into two groups. One group took an hour-long walk in a city park, while the other group walked the same amount of time on busy streets. Scientists found that people who took a walk in nature had reduced activity in the amygdala, which is responsible for feelings of fear and stress. This effect was not observed in people who walked on the streets.

The experts noted that their results confirm the previously assumed connection between being in nature and neurological health. During walks in a natural landscape, blood pressure and stress levels decrease, and in addition, the areas of the brain responsible for relaxation and rest are better supplied with blood. All this has a positive effect on the state and activity of the central nervous system.

The journal Frontiers in Psychology published data obtained by researchers from the University of Michigan. They indicate that even 20 minutes of walking in nature every day can be enough to significantly reduce the level of stress hormones: in particular, cortisol. High levels of this hormone are associated with weakened immunity, a tendency to cardiovascular disorders, and depression.

“Periodic exposure to nature is an inexpensive therapeutic tool for curbing many of the negative consequences of urban life, which people spend in poorly ventilated rooms and inactivity,” the scientists said.

According to them, one type of tree is capable of providing a health-improving effect. People who live in greener areas are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease or diabetes compared to those who live in conditions of dense vegetation.

Japanese scientists, in turn, found that regular and long walks in the forest increase the number of natural killer cells, a subset of leukocytes and part of the human immune system.