Scientists have linked gardening to longevity and brain health
Research shows that working with plants can benefit not only your psychological state, but also your physical health. Gardening is associated with regular moderate physical activity, reduced stress, improved sleep, and a lower risk of dementia, and some studies have found a link between frequent gardening and lower mortality. How gardening affects the body and the brain is in the "Izvestia" material.
Gardening helps you move more and reduce stress.
Doctors are increasingly recommending gardening as an activity capable of maintaining mental and physical health. This approach refers to the so-called social purpose: instead of medications or medical procedures, a person may be recommended certain types of activity.
The benefits of gardening are partly due to the fact that a person is constantly on the move while working. Planting, pruning, carrying bags of earth, digging, and moving a wheelbarrow require prolonged, though not too intense, efforts.
Hugh Coyne, doctor
This includes prolonged, minor physical effort, whether it's planting, pruning, lifting bags of dirt, digging, or moving wheelbarrows. An increase in heart rate can have a positive effect on the health of the cardiovascular system, as well as handwork and repetitive tasks...> may lower cortisol levels.
An additional effect can be provided by staying in nature itself. According to neuroscientist Marion Oberhuber, time among plants helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system— an organism's regime associated with rest and recovery.
He emphasized that we receive sensory stimulation and the vagus nerve transmits a signal about our safety, reducing cortisol levels. Gardening provides several types of sensory stimulation at once: a person sees plants and animals, hears birds singing, touches leaves and soil, and inhales natural odors.
Reducing stress can also affect sleep. In a study in the journal Bioinformation, elderly people who were engaged in garden therapy reported improved sleep quality. The researchers suggested that stress reduction may have played a role. According to neuroscientist Mia Soviero, chronically elevated cortisol levels can interfere with the body's ability to fully recover during sleep.
How does contact with plants affect the brain
It is not necessary for the brain to do hard work for possible benefit. Even planting seeds, watering and pruning plants can support cognitive and mental health. A study among elderly Chinese residents published in Public Health showed that frequent gardening was associated with a reduced risk of dementia. In the same year, a small pilot study found a reduction in symptoms of depression in people with already diagnosed dementia after garden therapy.
One of the possible mechanisms is related to stress. Oberhuber notes that a decrease in cortisol levels may be accompanied by an increase in brain growth factors, creating more favorable conditions for neurons to form new connections.
Marion Oberhuber
An amazing side effect is that if we lower our cortisol levels, we find an increase in brain growth factors, which means your neurons are in a better position to form new connections.
Gardening has also been linked to improved mood. A study by Cities magazine showed that gardening two or three times a week reduced stress levels and increased the number of positive emotions. And a review of 40 studies published in the Journal of Neural Transmission revealed an overall significant positive effect of gardening on indicators related to depression and anxiety.
At the same time, Coin noted that caring for a plant or watching it bloom gives people a sense of satisfaction and purpose. Small results—the appearance of a sprout, the opening of a flower, or the restoration of a plant—can also activate the brain's reward system.
The authors of the material separately note the possible role of microorganisms from the soil. In one small pilot study, participants had increased blood serotonin levels after exposure to soil containing a specific bacterium. However, this does not mean that ordinary garden soil has the same effect or that it changes serotonin levels directly in the brain.
Can gardening help you live longer?
Gardening is increasingly associated with healthy aging and a potentially longer life. A 2024 study of 13,812 adults in the United States found that outdoor gardening was statistically associated with a lower risk of death. In another longitudinal study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, frequent gardening was associated with a 22% lower risk of mortality and a longer length of telomeres, protective structures at the ends of chromosomes that usually shorten with age.
According to Sauviero, telomere length is, in fact, one of the indicators of biological age. However, the authors of the material emphasize that such studies show a connection, rather than prove that gardening directly prolongs life.
A possible explanation is a combination of several factors. According to Oberhuber, lower cortisol levels over a longer period of time can be combined with a healthier lifestyle and social aspects. In addition, people who practice gardening can simultaneously get more physical activity and spend more time outdoors.
Coin specifically draws attention to the role of social connections. According to him, having people around is in itself associated with better health and longevity: others may notice signs of illness or physical deterioration and realize that a person needs additional help. Therefore, the authors of the material associate the benefits of gardening not with one specific effect, but with a combination of physical activity, stress reduction, a sense of purpose and social contacts.
Hugh Coyne
It is also important to have people around who may notice signs of illness or notice that someone is physically weakening and needs more support.
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