A new study done by researchers from the University of East Anglia claims that spending time outside and living close to our natural surroundings help decrease the risk of many diseases. The study reports that the more human beings are exposed to greenspaces, the less likely they are to develop health disorders like type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, premature death, preterm birth, stress, and high blood pressure. According to the global data collected from more than 290 million people worldwide, people who were exposed to more greenspace were reported to be healthier than people who weren’t.
Caoimhe Twohig-Bennett, lead author of the study said, “Spending time in nature certainly makes us feel healthier, but until now the impact on our long-term wellbeing hasn’t been fully understood. We gathered evidence from over 140 studies involving more than 290 million people to see whether nature really does provide a health boost.” For the study, the team collected and analysed data from 20 different countries like the US, UK, Spain, France, Germany and Japan. The team defined greenspace as “open, undeveloped land with natural vegetation as well as urban greenspaces, which includes urban parks and street greenery”.
“We found that spending time in, or living close to, natural green spaces is associated with diverse and significant health benefits. It reduces the risk of type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, premature death, and preterm birth, and increases sleep duration. People living closer to nature also had reduced diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and stress. In fact, one of the really interesting things we found is that exposure to greenspace significantly reduces people’s levels of salivary cortisol — a physiological marker of stress”, a member of the team was reported saying.
‘Shinrin Yoku’- which means forest bathing is a very popular therapy in Japan where people spend time inside the forest, just sitting or lying down. The team saw that people who happened to live near greenspace had more chances to indulge in physical activity and socializing and since this also exposes them to a variety of bacteria, the immune system also gets stronger.
Twohig-Bennett explains, “We hope that this research will inspire people to get outside more and feel the health benefits for themselves. Hopefully our results will encourage policymakers and town planners to invest in the creation, regeneration, and maintenance of parks and greenspaces, particularly in urban residential areas and deprived communities that could benefit the most.”