by Margie Siegal
We regular gardeners have experienced that a session out in the garden planting, harvesting, pruning, or even weeding gives us a mood lift, and it sure seems like all that digging and pulling is lots of exercise, and we may be right. There are now scientifically based studies demonstrating the benefits of gardening to both physical and mental health.
“Sowing the Seeds of Better Health,” an article in the June issue of the HARVARD WOMEN’S HEALTH WATCH newsletter cites the following studies:
Physical Activity and Fiber Consumption
Lancet Planetary Health published a observer-blind randomized controlled trial in January 2023 in which a group of non-gardeners were divided into two groups: one assigned to a community gardening group, the others were the controls. The gardeners increased physical activity by 42 minutes a week and ate 7% more fiber per day.
View study at: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00303-5/fulltext#seccestitle170
Immune Function and Inflammation
A study published in 2021 in The Journals of Gerontology; Series A suggests that people who garden experience less age-related decline in immune system effectiveness and have lower levels of low-grade inflammation.
Mood
A study published 7/6/2022 in PLOS One suggested that gardening lowered stress, anxiety and depression in women who went to twice-weekly group gardening classes for four weeks.
These studies provide a scientific demonstration of what many gardeners already believe: gardening is good for you.