community gardening It is widely regarded by aficionados as something essential to their well-being. Good news for them: a recent scientific study confirms their impressions. Researchers at the University of Colorado have already sought the analysis The effect of gardening on physical and mental health. Their results are published January 4, 2023 in the Scientific Journal The Lancet Planetary Health. The Lancet Planetary Health.
This has been shown by the authors of this study who specialize in the links between the environment and health People who garden in public areas tend to eat more fiber and exercise more. Results: These reduce the risk of cancer and Reduce stress and anxiety.
To reach these conclusions, the researchers recruited 291 adults who had not previously been accustomed to gardening. Their average age was 41 years. Half of them immediately began following a joint gardening program, and the other half had to wait a year. Both groups responded consistently Questions about their dietary intake and their mental health. They also had to be weighed and wear a physical activity monitor on a daily basis.
Several months later, the researchers realized this People who started gardening ate an average of 1.4 grams of fiber each dayAn increase of about 7%. Fiber has a beneficial effect on Inflammatory and immune responsesbut also on the microbiome. So they work directly on your cancer risk, according to the study authors.
Moreover, the group of people who started gardening right away Increase their physical activity time by an average of 42 minutes per week.These volunteers also saw their levels of stress and anxiety decrease, Especially those who experienced it a lot before the study. Community gardening also has beneficial effects on health, even for beginners.
Gardening plays an important role in preventing cancer
“Our results provide concrete evidence that communal gardening can play a role An important role in the prevention of cancers, chronic diseases and mental disorders. summarized the study’s lead author, environmental health professor Jill Lett. She has dedicated her career to finding effective, inexpensive, and sustainable ways to reduce weight risk of serious illness. Gardening seems to bring all of these aspects together.
However, in The actual absence of scientific studies on the subject, as was the case until nowIt would have been difficult, if not impossible, to fund community gardening programs that promote these health benefits.
Gardening, a public health issue
If scarce research has shown adherents of this outdoor activity tend to be Eat more fruits and vegetables And they had less weight problems, it was not clear in what order this association works. Were the healthiest people the ones who tended the gardens, or were the gardeners the ones who took care of their health through this activity? According to Professor Jill Lett, the answer is now clear.
So she hopes these findings will encourage health professionals and public authorities to take an interest in community gardens. Sharing moments in nature is vital in terms of overall healthconfirm to the world.
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