By Deborah Lebow Aal
Photo by Mike Erskine on Upsplash.
Everyone is concerned with health these days. We consume inordinate amounts of media about keeping ourselves healthy and buy enough supplements to fill bathtubs. But there’s more to keeping healthy than taking vitamin D and Ozempic (does that make you healthy?) and getting a gym membership. Turns out that getting your hands dirty in the soil is actually good for your immune system. There are scientific studies that show that gardening can improve your physical and mental health.
A study published in 2019 from the Harvard T.H. Chan School for Public Health showed that women surrounded by homes with lots of plants (do not read grass!) had higher life expectancies and better mental health than women whose homes and yards had less greenery or fewer plants. Women with bountiful green spaces were 34 percent less likely to die of respiratory disease and 13 percent less likely to die of cancer than women with less green space. And, yes, the study did take into account other things that might have accounted for these differences. These are astounding numbers.
Two additional studies, one done in 2004 and one in 2007, showed that microbes in the soil are good for your gut, your immune system, and your mental health. The first study showed that a certain soil microbe (Mycobacterium vaccae) could prolong the lives of lung cancer patients. Patients were injected with this common, non-harmful soil bacterium, and while it did not prevent or help the patients with their lung cancer, it made them much happier. Yes, happier! In fact, they were not just happier, but they had more vitality and better cognitive functioning as well. The second study confirmed these findings, but with mice. Turns out there are microbes in the soil that interact with your gut and with serotonin levels in the brain. While that is a monumental simplification, that is the gist of these studies. We need to play in the dirt, e.g., garden, for our mental and immune system health.
A more recent study showed that access to green space may help prevent cognitive decline, a concern to many of us. And, the National Library of Science synthesized data from many recent scientific studies and this is what they concluded:
“Our meta-analysis has provided robust evidence for the positive effects of gardening on health. With an increasing demand for reduction of health care costs worldwide, our findings have important policy implications. The results presented here suggest that gardening can improve physical, psychological, and social health, which can, from a long-term perspective, alleviate and prevent various health issues facing today’s society. “
Playing in the dirt may help with asthma as well. Scientific research suggests that exposure to dirt, particularly during neo-natal and early childhood periods, may have a protective effect against developing asthma. The theory is that reduced exposure to microbes in a clean environment can lead to an overactive immune system, increasing allergy and asthma risk. Studies have shown that children raised on farms, with regular exposure to soil microbes, have lower rates of asthma compared to urban populations. Exposure to soil introduces harmless microbes to our systems, and we probably pick up a few good guys to add to our flora.
I am no doctor or scientist, but I do know that gardening makes me inordinately happier, stronger and wiser. I’m happy to be doing something that benefits the environment, assuming I am gardening sustainably, leaving those leaves, designing with native plants, etc. Stronger and wiser because it obviously entails strenuous but not mindless activity. There is an endless amount of learning to do to plant wisely, and understand, if we can, the wisdom of the plant world. And, maybe gardening also saves you money. I do not need to pay for a gym membership because I am lifting, hauling, squatting, etc. as I garden. (Okay, that might be a bit of a stretch, which hey, also improves my flexibility.)
Those of you with little to no outside space of your own have lots of options to get your hands dirty. You can volunteer at the Denver Botanic Gardens or another local garden; get a plot in a community garden; have lots of greenery indoors or on a balcony; help a friend or family member with their yard; volunteer with a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program; or get into our parks and recreation areas and truly immerse yourself in the green beauty.
There is also the opportunity to build community when you garden. You can join a club or an organization (such as Wild Ones!) or take on a neighborhood project. Garden in your front yard and use it as an opportunity to socialize with your neighbors and people walking by. It’s a heck of a lot better for your psyche than sitting in front of your computer or television.
So, if you’re not someone already playing in the dirt, maybe think about it. Surround yourself with plants, and yes, please take out some of your lawn! And, if you are someone already deep into gardening, know that you are nourishing your body and your soul, as well as the earth.