By Kristen Cotolo, RN
As the weather warms and the foliage begins to return to the trees, our thoughts drift to spending time in nature, and research is now indicating that making time to wander in the woods isn't just relaxing, it can also be good for your health!
Researchers in Japan have clinically proven that spending time among trees (a Japanese custom called shinrin-yoku, translated as “forest bathing”), actually prompts physiological changes within your body, by undoing the harmful effects of stress and empowering the immune system.
With "forest bathing", one spends time in a heavily wooded area for at least an hour or two, walking and enjoying the fresh forest air – what scientists have found is that walking among trees with plenty of foliage exposed ‘forest bathers’ to antimicrobial essential oils called Phytoncides. These are oils that the trees release to protect themselves from insects and other predators.
Five years ago, a team from Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, studied the effect of phytoncides on the activity of Natural Killer (NK) cells in a laboratory setting - these are cells that seek out and destroy viruses, bacteria, and toxins and are a vital component of your immune system’s natural defenses…their studies found that phytoncides significantly enhanced human NK activity!
A year later, the same medical team left the lab, and stepped into the forest, recruiting a dozen healthy middle-aged men who worked for large Tokyo corporations (and subject to high amounts of stress) - blood samples were taken before and after several forest trips over three days, and in 11 of the 12 subjects, NK activity increased by about 50 percent, and anti-cancer proteins were also generated. Later blood samples showed that these positive changes lasted more than seven days. The following year, a study with women produced nearly identical results, with the boosted NK levels lasting more than a week.
So, spend time among the trees this Spring, and you may find you have a Spring in your step and many more ‘Springs’ in your future.
Sources:
“Phytoncides induce human natural killer cell activity” Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, Vol. 28, No. 2, 2006
“Forest bathing enhances human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins” Intl Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, Vol. 20, No. 2, Suppl. 2, Apr-Jun 2007
“A forest bathing trip increases human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins in female subjects” Journal of Biological Regulators & Homeostatic Agents, Vol. 22, No. 1, Jan-Mar 2008
As the weather warms and the foliage begins to return to the trees, our thoughts drift to spending time in nature, and research is now indicating that making time to wander in the woods isn't just relaxing, it can also be good for your health!
Researchers in Japan have clinically proven that spending time among trees (a Japanese custom called shinrin-yoku, translated as “forest bathing”), actually prompts physiological changes within your body, by undoing the harmful effects of stress and empowering the immune system.
With "forest bathing", one spends time in a heavily wooded area for at least an hour or two, walking and enjoying the fresh forest air – what scientists have found is that walking among trees with plenty of foliage exposed ‘forest bathers’ to antimicrobial essential oils called Phytoncides. These are oils that the trees release to protect themselves from insects and other predators.
Five years ago, a team from Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, studied the effect of phytoncides on the activity of Natural Killer (NK) cells in a laboratory setting - these are cells that seek out and destroy viruses, bacteria, and toxins and are a vital component of your immune system’s natural defenses…their studies found that phytoncides significantly enhanced human NK activity!
A year later, the same medical team left the lab, and stepped into the forest, recruiting a dozen healthy middle-aged men who worked for large Tokyo corporations (and subject to high amounts of stress) - blood samples were taken before and after several forest trips over three days, and in 11 of the 12 subjects, NK activity increased by about 50 percent, and anti-cancer proteins were also generated. Later blood samples showed that these positive changes lasted more than seven days. The following year, a study with women produced nearly identical results, with the boosted NK levels lasting more than a week.
So, spend time among the trees this Spring, and you may find you have a Spring in your step and many more ‘Springs’ in your future.
Sources:
“Phytoncides induce human natural killer cell activity” Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, Vol. 28, No. 2, 2006
“Forest bathing enhances human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins” Intl Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, Vol. 20, No. 2, Suppl. 2, Apr-Jun 2007
“A forest bathing trip increases human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins in female subjects” Journal of Biological Regulators & Homeostatic Agents, Vol. 22, No. 1, Jan-Mar 2008
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