Community gardening and mental health…the science is in!
Thursday, August 17, 2023.
I’ve always been fascinated by highly impactful behaviors that can lead to more joy and less suffering.
Social science researchers have conducted many small studies that have linked community gardening to reduced stress, lower anxiety and depression, greater happiness, and even a lower risk of dementia.
However, a brand new randomized, controlled study, considered to be the “gold standard” in scientific research — has discovered that most humans suffering from anxiety and spill-over stress felt the greatest relief from their meaningless suffering…from community gardening.
This research is by far, the clearest evidence of community gardening’s ability to soothe and de-escalate the human nervous system.
The researchers were emphatic in their findings. They actually suggested that physicians prescribe community gardening as a frontline intervention for not only anxiety and stress, but also for impeding the progress of dementia. Another curious finding was that cancer patients also showed noticeable improvement when they took up gardening.
The researchers discovered that the physicality of gardening not only curbs stress and anxiety, it also leads to more conscious eating, and better sleep.
Professor Jill Litt, is the study’s lead author:
“These findings provide concrete evidence that community gardening could play an important role in preventing cancer, chronic diseases and mental health disorders.”
How the study was conducted
The study subjects included nearly 300 non-gardeners. Half were instructed to join a community garden, but the other half was delayed for a year to have the community gardening experience.
The gardening group were given a plot, seeds and basic instruction in gardening.
The research clearly demonstrated how community gardening encouraged humans to eat more healthily, exercise more often, and reduced their overall stress levels and anxiety.
People in the gardening group also increased their intake of fibre by 7% — equivalent to 1.4 grams per day ( BTW, the average human adult eats around about half the recommended amount of fibre intake each day.
Professor James Hébert, study co-author, said:
“An increase of one gram of fiber can have large, positive effects on health.” (remember the fiber intake of the study subjects was significantly higher, at 1.4 grams).
Humans in the active community gardening group also were clocked at 42 minutes of additional physical exercise each week.
It ‘s important to note that by working on their plot in the community garden twice a week, they achieved nearly a third of their targeted amount of exercise for a week (150 minutes of physical activity).
The fundamental health of human engagement…
One of the major benefits of community gardening is being with other humans.
Professor Litt put it this way:
“Even if you come to the garden looking to grow your food on your own in a quiet place, you start to look at your neighbor’s plot and share techniques and recipes, and over time relationships bloom.
It’s not just about the fruits and vegetables.
It’s also about being in a natural space outdoors together with others.”
Professor Hébert was not surprised about the benefits of gardening, and we shouldn’t be either: It an obvious “old school” pathway to human health.
“No matter where you go, people say there’s just something about gardening that makes them feel better.”
RESEARCH:
Effects of a community gardening intervention on diet, physical activity, and anthropometry outcomes in the USA (CAPS): an observer-blind, randomized controlled trial
et al.
Open AccessPublished:January, 2023DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00303-5
