Did you know that gardening can have a tremendous impact on your mind and body? The first randomized controlled trial of community gardening, funded by the American Cancer Society, found that those who started gardening consumed more fiber and engaged in more physical activity, both of which are known to increase the risk of cancer and reduce chronic disease. They also found a significant reduction in stress and anxiety levels.
According to the findings, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, "community gardening can play an important role in the prevention of cancer, chronic diseases and mental disorders." Some small observational studies have shown that people who garden eat more fruits and vegetables. Be at a healthy weight.
However, it is not clear whether healthy people tend to garden or whether gardening affects health. To fill the gap, lead author Jill Lett, a professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, recruited 291 non-gardening adults with an average age of 41 from the Denver area. More than a third of them were Hispanic and more than half were from low-income families. After the last spring frost, half of them were assigned to a community gardening group and the other half were asked to wait a year to start gardening in a control group.
The garden team received a free garden plot, seeds and seedlings, and an introductory gardening course through the nonprofit Denver Urban Gardens program and study partner. Both groups completed regular surveys on dietary intake and mental health, took body measurements and wore activity monitors.
Increased fiber
During the fall, the gardeners ate an average of 1.4 grams more fiber per day than the control group, an increase of about 7%. The authors note that fiber has profound effects on immune and inflammatory responses, from how we metabolize food to the health of our gut microbiome to our susceptibility to diabetes and certain types of cancer. While doctors recommend 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day, an adult consumes less than 16 grams. "Adding just one gram of fiber can have significant positive health effects," says co-author James Hibbert, director of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the University of South Carolina.
The gardening group also increased their physical activity by about 42 minutes per week. Public health officials recommend at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, a recommendation that only a quarter of the American population meets. With just two to three visits to the community garden per week, participants met 28% of this requirement.
Study participants also experienced lower levels of stress and anxiety, and those who entered the study with the highest levels of stress and anxiety had the greatest reduction in their health problems. Research has confirmed that even novice gardeners can achieve measurable health benefits.
(with ANI input)
The latest health news
