ABSTRACT
Prosperity for all is impossible without health for all. In recent years, following with the development of national land greening, forest resources have greatly increased in China. It is one of the effective ways to realize the Healthy China strategy to develop and perfect forest rehabilitation and forest therapy with forest resources. Forest therapy has gradually become a new interdisciplinary science and a focus of public attention. This paper reviewed the development of forest therapy in some countries in the world, summarized the health effects of forest therapy on cardiovascular, respiratory, immune, and mental system, pointed out the limitations of the research work at present on forest therapy and population health, and discussed the outlook of forest therapy and population health in China.
ABSTRACT
The human species have existed for 6-7 million years. Because over 99.99% of our evolutionary history has been spent in natural environments, it is considered that we are adaptive to nature1). However, we now live in a society that is characterized by urbanization and artificiality, despite our physiological functions still being adapted to nature. We conducted experiments involving 420 subjects at 35 different forests throughout Japan2). Participants in natural surroundings showed the following physiological decreases compared with those in an urban control group: 12.4% decrease in cortisol level, 7.0% decrease in sympathetic nervous activity, 1.4% decrease in systolic blood pressure, and 5.8% decrease in heart rate. This suggests that stressful states can be relieved by forest therapy. In addition, parasympathetic nervous activity was enhanced by 55.0%, indicating a relaxed state. The results of similar experiments that involved walking in forests were equivalent. Li et al. demonstrated that immune function was enhanced by forest therapy in middle-aged employees who volunteered to participate in these experiments. Natural killer cell activity, an indicator of immune function, was enhanced by 56% on the second day and returned to normal levels. A significant increase of 23% was maintained for 1 month even after returning to urban life, clearly illustrating the preventive benefits of forest therapy3). In conclusion, forest therapy had preventive benefits and facilitated physiological relaxation and immune recovery4) (Figure 1).
ABSTRACT
Humans have enjoyed forest environments for ages because of the quiet atmosphere, beautiful scenery, mild climate, pleasant aromas, and fresh, clean air. In Japan, since 2004, serial studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of forest environments on human health (1-13). We have established a new science called Forest Medicine. Forest Medicine is a new interdisciplinary science, falling under the categories of alternative medicine, environmental medicine, and preventive medicine, which encompasses the effects of forest environments on human health (11). It has been reported that forest environments have the following beneficial effects on human health: 1. Increase human natural killer (NK) activity, the number of NK cells, and the intracellular levels of anti-cancer proteins in NK cells, suggesting a preventive effect on cancers (1-9, 11). 2. Reduce blood pressure (Fig. 1), heart rate, and stress hormones, such as urinary adrenaline and noradrenaline and salivary cortisol (3, 4, 7, 10-13). Decreases of urinary adrenaline and noradrenaline contributed to the lower blood pressure (10, 11). 3. Increase the activity of parasympathetic nerves and reduce the activity of sympathetic nerves (12-13). These effects indirectly influence the endocrine and immune systems via the psycho-neuro-endocrino-immune network (11). 4. Increase the levels of serum adiponectin and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S). Adiponectin is a serum protein hormone specifi cally produced by adipose tissue. Studies have shown that lower than normal blood adiponectin concentrations are associated with several metabolic disorders, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. Epidemiological evidence in humans suggests that DHEA-S has cardioprotective, anti-obesity, and anti-diabetic properties (10, 11). 5. In the Profile of Mood States (POMS) test, reduce the scores for anxiety, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion, and increase the score for vigor, showing psychological effects as well (2, 4, 7, 10, 11). These findings suggest that forest environments may have preventive effects on lifestyle-related diseases (9-11).
ABSTRACT
The human species have existed for 6-7 million years. Because over 99.99% of our evolutionary history has been spent in natural environments, it is considered that we are adaptive to nature<sup>1)</sup>. However, we now live in a society that is characterized by urbanization and artificiality, despite our physiological functions still being adapted to nature. <BR> We conducted experiments involving 420 subjects at 35 different forests throughout Japan<sup>2)</sup>. Participants in natural surroundings showed the following physiological decreases compared with those in an urban control group: 12.4% decrease in cortisol level, 7.0% decrease in sympathetic nervous activity, 1.4% decrease in systolic blood pressure, and 5.8% decrease in heart rate. This suggests that stressful states can be relieved by forest therapy. In addition, parasympathetic nervous activity was enhanced by 55.0%, indicating a relaxed state. The results of similar experiments that involved walking in forests were equivalent. Li et al. demonstrated that immune function was enhanced by forest therapy in middle-aged employees who volunteered to participate in these experiments. Natural killer cell activity, an indicator of immune function, was enhanced by 56% on the second day and returned to normal levels. A significant increase of 23% was maintained for 1 month even after returning to urban life, clearly illustrating the preventive benefits of forest therapy<sup>3)</sup>. <BR> In conclusion, forest therapy had preventive benefits and facilitated physiological relaxation and immune recovery<sup>4)</sup> (Figure 1).
ABSTRACT
Humans have enjoyed forest environments for ages because of the quiet atmosphere, beautiful scenery, mild climate, pleasant aromas, and fresh, clean air.<BR> In Japan, since 2004, serial studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of forest environments on human health (1-13).<BR> We have established a new science called Forest Medicine. Forest Medicine is a new interdisciplinary science, falling under the categories of alternative medicine, environmental medicine, and preventive medicine, which encompasses the effects of forest environments on human health (11).<BR> It has been reported that forest environments have the following beneficial effects on human health:<BR> 1.Increase human natural killer (NK) activity, the number of NK cells, and the intracellular levels of anti-cancer proteins in NK cells, suggesting a preventive effect on cancers (1-9, 11).<BR> 2.Reduce blood pressure (Fig. 1), heart rate, and stress hormones, such as urinary adrenaline and noradrenaline and salivary cortisol (3, 4, 7, 10-13). Decreases of urinary adrenaline and noradrenaline contributed to the lower blood pressure (10, 11).<BR> 3.Increase the activity of parasympathetic nerves and reduce the activity of sympathetic nerves (12-13). These effects indirectly influence the endocrine and immune systems via the psycho-neuro-endocrino-immune network (11).<BR> 4.Increase the levels of serum adiponectin and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S). Adiponectin is a serum protein hormone specifi cally produced by adipose tissue. Studies have shown that lower than normal blood adiponectin concentrations are associated with several metabolic disorders, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. Epidemiological evidence in humans suggests that DHEA-S has cardioprotective, anti-obesity, and anti-diabetic properties (10, 11).<BR> 5.In the Profile of Mood States (POMS) test, reduce the scores for anxiety, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion, and increase the score for vigor, showing psychological effects as well (2, 4, 7, 10, 11).<BR> These findings suggest that forest environments may have preventive effects on lifestyle-related diseases (9-11).