Trees, parks, and the aging process
You'll be hard-pressed to find an article about stress reduction or ways to boost health that doesn't include exposure to nature. It's reported that some mental health practitioners are prescribing time in nature to their patients to reduce depression and anxiety.
A recent study found that people living in areas more dense with greenery, trees, and parks have slower aging cells. Telomeres are structures attached to each cell's chromosomes and prevent our DNA from unraveling. A telomere's length determines the rate at which a cell ages; the longer the telomere, the better.
Green spaces promote physical activity and social interaction, keep areas cooler, and lower pollution rates—all of which can impact telomeres and cell health.
However, the study's findings are different when poverty, crime, and segregation levels in a community are high, even those with green spaces.
Read the details here:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/02/green-space-ageing-neigh...
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Slipstream
Maybe it's my imagination, but I can almost feel my telomeres grow when I'm working in my yard 😊 I'm also very fortunate to have several parks in my neighborhood. However, the air pollution in my city ranks as one of the worst in the state due to the nearby port, so I'm hoping all the green space we have counters the excessive pollution.