People living in green areas age more slowly at the cellular level. This has been shown by a study published in the journal. Total Environmental Science.
Scientists analyzed data from almost eight thousand Americans. They found that people who lived in areas with more parks, gardens, trees and other vegetation had longer telomeres, repeated stretches of DNA found at the end of each of a person’s 46 chromosomes. While it prevents DNA damage when cells divide, it shortens with each division. Therefore, telomere length may help estimate biological age.
The authors calculated that green spaces could reduce a person’s biological age by about 2.5 years. They suggest that the mechanism of action of greenery is related to the reduction of physical and psychological stress: trees help keep streets cool in hot weather and also reduce air pollution and noise. Additionally, the presence of vegetation in an area encourages physical activity, increases socialization, and reduces crime rates.
Interestingly, in this study, the beneficial effects of green space on telomeres were not affected by race, economic status, smoking status, or amount of alcohol consumed. But nature’s benefits have limitations: When the authors took into account risk factors such as air pollution, the positive effects of green space disappeared. There was also racial inequality experienced by non-Hispanic whites in the greenest neighborhoods. Additionally, women benefited less from eating greens, possibly due to other disease risk factors or increased social stress.
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