What the research proves about trees and our health

Research has shown that just walking in treed areas can improve concentration, decrease blood glucose levels in diabetic patients, and reduce feelings of anxiety, depression and anger. Other studies have found that just being in green outdoor settings can reduce symptoms of ADHD in children, resulting in better exercise outcomes and improved mental health.  The colour green has such a profound effect on the human body that simply looking at trees—even just pictures of them—improves mood and lowers stress-related hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. One study famously showed that patients in a hospital bed with a window view of trees or a garden needed fewer painkillers, stayed for a shorter time and had better recovery outcomes than those who had only a brick wall to look at.
As for actually wrapping your arms around a tree trunk and giving it a big old squeeze? Hugging trees releases oxytocin—the so-called love drug—but more accurately understood as a hormone that plays a significant role in social bonding and romantic attachment.  The hit of oxytocin, combined with the release of serotonin and dopamine, means tree-hugging will give you a natural high. (For the record, twenty-one seconds is recommended as the minimum time for a tree hug to let all that bodily-bliss fully enter your system.)  Plus, getting up close and personal with bark and leaves means you’re breathing in phytoncides—antimicrobial chemicals emitted by plants to protect themselves from insects and disease. These phytoncides don’t just help trees—they’ve been shown to boost human immune systems too, lower blood pressure, heart rate and stress, and improve mood.

READING