https://reasonstobecheerful.world/gardening-for-health/
"Truth be told, I am one of those gardeners who, on a cold January day, is out
in the garden making sure all my plants are snug and warm, while I am freezing
to the bone. As strange as it may sound, it feels good to stand under the bare
branches of an apple tree, in a bitter wind, and prune. To me, gardening is
much more than just a summer hobby: It’s a workout for my body, and when life
feels chaotic, it’s a balm for my mind, offering a sense of peace and balance.
As it turns out, gardening really is good for you — and science is beginning to
prove it. In a first-of-its-kind study on the physical and mental health
effects of community gardening, Dr. Jill Litt, a professor of environmental
health at the University of Colorado at Boulder, set out to prove that the
benefits of gardening go beyond a tasty tomato or beautiful rose bush.
Working with Denver Urban Gardens (DUG), a nonprofit organization with a
network of 200 community gardens across six Colorado counties, Litt recruited
291 non-gardening adults for the study. Half were from low-income households.
One half gardened, while the other half, who didn’t garden, served as the
control group.
Each member of the gardening group received a community garden plot from DUG,
seeds, seedlings and an introductory course on gardening. Growing produce from
seed is an accomplishment for any gardener. Litt’s study measured exactly how
healthy that accomplishment is.
The study, which was published in 2023, found that daily dietary fiber intake
for the gardening group was 1.4 grams higher than the control group. This may
not sound like a lot, but dietary fiber, found in plant foods such as legumes,
fruits and vegetables, is linked, for instance, to a lower risk of cancer. And
the health benefits go beyond the nourishing food that gardens provide."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
