Feeling sick? Tired? Get outside! New science describes how contact with nature promotes human health.

        It is a common thought that being outside and active can have a beneficial effect on your health, but how exactly does nature influence this?  Ming Kuo, a researcher at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, wanted to answer this question as well.  To date, studies have explored this idea by mainly focusing on the effects of air quality, physical activity, stress, and social integration.  Kuo assembled all relevant research on this matter, however, and identified 21 different plausible pathways in which nature can improve health in a “multi-vitamin” manner. 

Kuo’s article explains how time in nature leads to active ingredients, which lead to physiological states and health outcomes.

         Kuo compiled a very interesting list, however I will touch base on some of the points that stuck out.  Plants give off phytoncides, antimicrobial volatile organic compounds, which are known to reduce blood pressure, alter autonomic activity, and boost immune function.  Air in forested, mountainous areas, and near moving water contains high concentrations of negative air ions, which reduce depression.  Interesting, new sights and sounds have been proven to reduce sympathetic activity and increasing parasympathetic activity.  Walks in forested versus urban areas have increased blood levels of didehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) which has cardio protective, anti-obesity, and anti-diabetic properties.  Due to the calming state that nature often conveys, the immune system is turned down, therefore less inflammatory cytokines are released, which have been implicated in diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression.  Finally, the most interesting factor that Kuo mentioned is that experiences of awe that nature may induce are known to enhance vitality and attention restoration by lowering inflammatory cytokine responses.

         Living in Colorado, near the beauty of the Rocky Mountains, gives us ample opportunities to get outdoors and experience they joys of nature.  What are some other effects that nature may have on our bodies, both physiologically and mentally?  Especially regarding awe, what are some of the most awe-inducing places you have experienced in nature and how did that experience make you feel?

Reference

Kuo, Ming. "How Might Contact with Nature Promote Human Health? Promising Mechanisms and a Possible Central Pathway." Fronteirs in Psychology - Cognitive Science 6 (2015).Neuroscience News. Crossmark. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. <http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01093/full