'Forest Bathing' Considered Healthful

Hugh Pickens writes "The NY Times reports that although allergies and the promise of air-conditioning tend to drive people indoors at this time of year, when people spend time in more natural surroundings — forests, parks, and other places with plenty of trees — they experience increased immune function. A study of 280 healthy people in Japan, where visiting nature parks for therapeutic effect has become a popular practice called 'Shinrin-yoku,' or 'forest bathing,' found that being among plants produced 'lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, and lower blood pressure,' among other things. Another study in 2007 showed that men who took two-hour walks in a forest over two days had a 50-percent spike in levels of natural killer cells, and a third study found an increase in white blood cells that lasted for a week in women exposed to phytoncides in forest air."

Comments

Re:Am I the only one?

[pandrijeczko]

I must admit that the title immediately got me thinking about opalescent pools of water surrounded by trees and then wondering if it would be so healthy if said pool contained an overly territorial venomous water snake or an alligator having a bad day...

Re:Breaking news

[Spazztastic]

Also helps allergies:

I've read several studies in Science News that show exposing allergic bodies to the outdoors "trains" the immune system to ignore things like pollen, dust, and so on as simply part of the natural environment.

I've also read studies that picking your nose and eating your boogers increases your immune system. Seems plausible since your nose filters out pollen, dust, and other things your body shouldn't be absorbing.

What about the downsides?

[mswhippingboy]

This article assumes of course, that one does not become subject to a bear attack.

Re:What about the downsides?

[archangel9]

I grew up in a small bear-farming village, a tiny population in a state with one of the lowest levels of bears, with no bear repellent whatsoever. I had absolutely terrible bear attacks, up to and including death, eyes glued shut due to "blood" (secretions), and the need for serious surgery that didn't really help much.

The best thing I ever did was move to a city, get bear repellent, and stay the fuck away from the bears, bears, and other bears that made my life a living hell. I didn't get bear attacks from living in the city as you so erroneously imply, I got them from being exposed to bears in the first place, and short of paving the planet, a large city with relatively few bears is in my experience an ideal environment for those who suffer from bear attacks, Manbearpig notwithstanding.

Re:Am I the only one?

[mcgrew]

Bathing forest dyslexia cures?

Re:Am I the only one?

[theshowmecanuck]

As long as it's not a candirú fish.