Living Near Trees Improves Physical, Mental and Social Health

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Living Near Trees Improves Physical, Mental and Social Health(NaturalNews)

People living in areas with more parks, trees and grass live longer and happier

lives, with less violence and improved mental and physical health, according to

research presented at the conference of the American Association for the

Advancement of Science in Chicago.

 

" Humans are evolved organisms and the environment is our habitat, " lead

researcher Frances Kuo said. " Now, as human societies become more urban, we as

scientists are in a position to look at humans in much the same way that those

who study animal behavior have looked at animals in the wild to see the effect

of a changing habitat on this species. "

 

A growing number of studies are showing that humans living in settings lacking

living plants show physical, psychological and social disorders similar to those

developed by other animals that have been removed from their natural habitats.

 

" In animals what you see is increases in aggression, you see disrupted parenting

patterns, " Kuo said.

 

On the physical level, a large-scale Dutch study found that the amount of green

space within a one- to three-mile radius of a person's home is a significant

predictor of their overall health. A Japanese study found that elderly people

who lived within walking distance of a park or other green space had

significantly longer life expectancies than those who lived farther away.

 

College students have been found to perform higher on tests of cognitive

function if they live in rooms overlooking living plants, while people living

far from natural settings demonstrate not only worsened cognitive function, but

also impulse control and management of life conflicts. A walk in a park has been

proven to reduce hyperactivity in children as much as standard drug treatments.

 

Finally, communities with more green space have lower levels of crime

and violence than communities with more green space. Communities without green

space, on the other hand, have higher levels of property, crime, graffiti and

litter.

 

" We might call some of that 'soiling the nest,' which is not healthy, " Kuo said.

" No organisms do that when they're in good shape. "

 

Sources for this story include: www.telegraph.co.uk; www.sciencedaily.com.

 

Muhammad Ahmad Al-Masry

 

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