Naturalising – the magic of spending time in nature.
In our last blog we wrote about the importance of getting outside now that spring is here to absorb the rays of the sun in order to help us stay topped up with vitamin D and improve energy production. If you missed the blog, you could read it here. In this month’s blog we will carry on the theme of spending time outside albeit for different reasons. Research has emerged that spending time in nature may be one of the best things we can do for our wellbeing. This may not come as a huge surprise since we evolved in nature; ancestral experiences and evolutionary processes continue to influence us in ways that may escape conscious awareness, but nature forms an inherent part of our being and it is logical that we therefore benefit from a natural environment. However, we now live in culture, a topic we covered in our March blog, and many have lost the connection to nature living in urban areas or simply not making enough time to be outside. It’s perhaps no surprise to learn that researchers are finding evidence for associations between nature exposure and better health, including improved cognitive function, brain activity, blood pressure, mental health, physical activity, and immune function. According to one study, as little as 120 minutes per week is sufficient to achieve significant health benefits.
Nature and mental wellbeing.
Gregory Bratman, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Washington, and colleagues, reviewed the evidence and concluded that contact with nature is associated with increases in happiness, subjective well-being, positive affect, positive social interactions, and a sense of meaning and purpose in life, as well as decreases in mental distress. Evidence from Denmark examining more than 900.000 residents born between 1985 and 2003 found that children who lived in neighborhoods with more green space had a reduced risk of psychiatric disorders in later life including mood disorders, depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and substance abuse, noting that those with the lowest levels of green space exposure during childhood had a 55% higher risk of developing mental illness as compared to those who grew up with abundant green space. These are just small examples of the evidence that is building on the impact of nature on our mental wellbeing.
Nature – a fix for loneliness?
We live in a fast paced and interconnected world and yet loneliness and social isolation have become increasingly prevalent. Although modern technology has allowed us to be more digitally connected than ever before, paradoxically many people experience a profound sense of disconnect and loneliness. Research is clear that loneliness is associated with increased mortality and a higher risk of some cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological disorders. With approximately eight billion people living side by side on our Earth it is hard to fathom that so many feel lonely. Our modern society favours individualism, communication through devices, with options of distance working and studying, which clearly bring about a desired flexibility and ability to stay in touch over great distances, but which also create separation and disregard greatly our innate need to be in the physical presence of others. Let’s also not forget that our immune system senses when we are amongst fellow humans responding by increasing our viral defence since from an immunological standpoint the risk of viral infection is much increased in crowds. Hence, when we stop socialising in person our viral defences are compromised, perhaps partly what we witnessed during and after lock-down with an increasing number of individuals suffering viruses and viral reactivation. Humans are inherently herd- and social beings. On the upside, it seems spending time in nature may be a significant antidote to loneliness. Research suggests that fostering a deeper relationship with nature can combat loneliness, alleviate social isolation, and promote overall well-being. Some researchers propose that spending time in nature may generate a sense ‘awe’ and associate with experiences of belonging to something bigger than ourselves, which goes beyond the individual and may be one way that nature can combat feeling lonely and isolated.
Forest Bathing and inflammation
Forest Bathing originates from Japan where it is referred to as “shinrin-yoku’. It is a medical practice, which draws inspiration from ancient Shinto and Buddhist practices that emphasise the spiritual and healing qualities of nature, as well as Japanese cultural traditions and beliefs that emphasise the restorative powers of nature.
Forest Bathing as a concept started in the 1980s and sprang out of the rapid urbanisation and technological advancements experienced in Japan and an observation of what they termed ‘Karohsi’ or overwork death. In response, the Japanese government launched a series of studies to investigate the health benefits of spending time in forests. The evidence was overwhelmingly positive, and Forest Bathing became a government funded and integrative part of a preventive healthcare in Japan. Since then, Forest Bathing has gained international momentum as a form of nature therapy and multiple studies have further explored its numerous health benefits including modulation of inflammatory processes.
In one study from 2010, the study participants spent 2 days and three nights in a forest and the results showed a significant increase in natural killer (NK) cell activity, the numbers of NK cells, granulysin-, perforin-, and granzymes A/B-expressing lymphocytes. The increased NK activity lasted for more than 30 days after the trip, suggesting that a forest bathing trip once a month would enable individuals to maintain a higher level of NK activity.
A systematic review from 2021 concluded “The synthesis of reviewed studies points to positive effects of nature exposure on immunological health parameters, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-asthmatic effects or increased NK (natural killer) cell activity. Decreased expression of pro-inflammatory molecules, infiltration of leukocytes and release of cytotoxic mediators are outcomes that may serve as a baseline for further studies.” The review also compared different types of natural environments and concluded that spending time in a forest had the most significant effect on inflammatory markers.
Nurtured by nature.
It seems safe to conclude that we can all benefit from spending more time in nature and whilst any natural environment can contribute to decreasing stress and improving our sense of wellbeing, connection, belonging and help defeat loneliness, it seems forests may have an edge when it comes to decreasing inflammation in the body. We don’t entirely understand the mechanisms of these effects and it is likely a multitude of interacting factors that combine to produce the positive outcomes including breathing in anti-inflammatory phytochemicals produced by trees, being exposed to natural light, sounds of birds and perhaps even simply observing the beauty of natural spaces. Socialising in a forest may bring even further benefits combining being together with outdoor spaces. Perhaps it is time for health care practitioners to take to prescribing spending time in nature as a simple and effective intervention to support all the various health parameters discussed in this blog.
Epigenetics wins over genetics always meaning our environment ultimately determines how our genes behave. When our genes operate in an environment similar to that in which they evolved, we seem to reach our highest potential. We came from nature and as Dr Pruimboom, a renowned pioneer in clinical psychoneuroimmunology has beautifully remarked; “you can take people out of nature, you cannot take nature out of people”.
The Genie test
Staying on the topic of gene expression, let us once again draw attention to the gene transcriptomics test we have on offer here at Colab Services (PD501- GENIE). Developed by James Ryan, PhD, for the first time we can use differential gene expression to tell us about abnormalities in gene functioning in chronic inflammatory illness, providing insights into how individual genes are expressing in their current environment. Please get in touch and we are happy to help you understand if this test may be relevant for you or your clients.