Study: Exposure to nature may make people healthier

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- We all know that exposure to bad things in the environment can make you sick, but could good things in the environment actually make your healthier? Maybe so. An article in this month's American Journal of Preventive Medicine reviews several studies that suggest even looking at nature can boost people's health. One study looked at patients recovering from surgery -- some had a view of trees, while others had a view of a brick wall. "The patients that had a view of trees from their rooms had one day shorter hospitalization on average, less need for pain medications and fewer negative nursing notes," said the article's author, Dr. Howard Frumkin, of Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health. Other studies showed that prisoners who have a room with a view have fewer doctor visits. And workers with views of nature reported fewer headaches. "Maybe it's just that the stress level is lowered, and if we're less stressed, we're healthier," said Frumkin. "Maybe there's something else. Maybe biochemical changes occur as a response to trees, plants or animals. I don't think we really know." Perhaps, he theorizes, human beings are just hard-wired to need nature. "Our early ancestors were born, lived and died in a very intimate contact with nature. They needed to have good sense for how nature worked. They needed to be able to smell the water, feel the wind," Frumkin explained. So what does that mean for urban society, where many people go from house to car to office and back again? Maybe, Frumkin suggests, doctors should prescribe a walk in the park, an afternoon of gardening, a weekend at the beach -- and let nature take its course.

-- jack (atl.jack@mailexcite.com), March 23, 2001

Answers

I've sat back and watched the stress of city folk's life. Living out where I can't see a neighbor's house, I found it stressful just driving up to the store while visiting friends. The traffic, the horns blaring, the sirens from police/ambulance vehicles, radios blaring in stores (I wore ear plugs when in such places!); the loud voices in restaurants. They think I'm nuts when I mention the noise; they don't hear it, just tune it out. No wonder they have so much sickness!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), March 23, 2001.

Rogo,I agree with you,so many people donot hear and see so much,not just the people noises but nature. I have talked to kids who have never heard a cow moo or a cicken so sad. Alot of people I know cant handle silence its to"loud" odd.

-- renee oneill{md.} (oneillsr@home.com), March 23, 2001.

I read the other day that one reason cats purr is to promote healing. The article said that certain frequencies promote healing in humans as well.

Any ideas on how I can learn to purr? Maybe those leg crossing yogis have something after all. Dont' they hum in monotonous tones? Hmmmm, pun intended.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), March 23, 2001.


Notforprint, they also probably spent millions of dollars for something I've known for 50 years ~ stroking a cat/dog lowers blood pressure!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), March 23, 2001.

I have always found a new dimension of relaxation when I get away from people and spend time unwinding at my cabin in the mountains, or fishing remote waters. For many years I have been able to see that despite the perils of life and death that animals in the natural world face each day, there is clearly a joy of life, and pleasure of play in wild life that I envy. Many times I have noted that wild animals live a better life than most humans do. I cannot imagine life without stepping out into the natural world regularly and sharing life's joy!

-- woodsbilly (coleenl@penn.com), March 23, 2001.


notforprint, Om is the human purr.

-- witness (carlaevans@hotmail.com), March 23, 2001.

Took another 'official' study to figure that out??? LMAO... We could have told them that!!! Amazing that folks 'need' all the scientific proof of things... They don't trust their own instincts, their own eyes!! Guess somebody had to 'prove' things! (seems an awful waste of money - )

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), March 26, 2001.

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