Gardening can help contribute to reduced cancer risk, boost mental health: Study

While getting more exercise eating right and making new friends are all good habits new CU Boulder research suggests the addition of gardening can have a powerful impact Funded by the American Cancer Society the firstever randomized controlled trial of community gardening found that those who started gardening ate more fiber and got more physical activitytwo known ways to reduce the risk of cancer and chronic diseasesThey also saw their levels of stress and anxiety significantly decrease The findings were published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health These findings provide concrete evidence that community gardening could play an important role in preventing cancer chronic diseases and mental health disorders said senior author Jill Litt a professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at CU BoulderFilling the research gapLitt has spent much of her career seeking to identify affordable scalable and sustainable ways to reduce disease risk especially among lowincome communities Gardening seemed an ideal place to start No matter where you go people say theres just something about gardening that makes them feel better said Litt who is also a researcher with the Barcelona Institute for Global HealthBut solid science on its benefits is hard to come by Without evidence its hard to get support for new programs she said Some small observational studies have found that people who garden tend to eat more fruits and vegetables and have a healthier weight But it has been unclear whether healthier people just tend to garden or whether gardening influences healthOnly three studies have applied the gold standard of scientific research the randomized controlled trial to the pastime None have looked specifically at community gardening To fill the gap Litt recruited 291 nongardening adults an average age of 41 from the Denver area More than a third were Hispanic and more than half came from lowincome householdsAfter the last spring frost half were assigned to the community gardening group and half to a control group that was asked to wait one year to start gardening The gardening group received a free community garden plot some seeds and seedlings and an introductory gardening course through the nonprofit Denver Urban Gardens program and a study partner Both groups took periodic surveys about their nutritional intake and mental health underwent body measurements and wore activity monitorsA fiber boostBy fall those in the gardening group were eating on average 14 grams more fibre per day than the control groupan increase of about 7 per cent The authors note that fiber exerts a profound effect on inflammatory and immune responses influencing everything from how we metabolize food to how healthy our gut microbiome is to how susceptible we are to diabetes and certain cancersWhile doctors recommend about 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day the average adult consumes less than 16 grams An increase of one gram of fiber can have large positive effects on health said coauthor James Hebert director of the University of South Carolinas cancer prevention and control programThe gardening group also increased their physical activity levels by about 42 minutes per week Public health agencies recommend at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week a recommendation only a quarter of the US population meets With just two to three visits to the community garden weekly participants met 28 per cent of that requirementStudy participants also saw their stress and anxiety levels decrease with those who came into the study most stressed and anxious seeing the greatest reduction in mental health issues The study also confirmed that even novice gardeners can reap measurable health benefits of the pastime in their first season As they have more experience and enjoy greater yields Litt suspects such benefits will increaseBlooming relationshipsThe study results dont surprise Linda Appel Lipsius executive director of Denver Urban Gardens DUG a 43yearold nonprofit that helps about 18000 people each year grow their own food in community garden plots Its transformational even lifesaving for so many people Lipsius saidMany DUG participants live in areas where access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables is otherwise extremely limited Some are lowincome immigrants now living in apartmentshaving a garden plot allows them to grow food from their home country and pass on traditional recipes to their family and neighbours The social connection is also hugeEven if you come to the garden looking to grow your food on your own in a quiet place you start to look at your neighbours plot and share techniques and recipes and over time relationships bloom said Litt noting that while gardening alone is good for you gardening in the community may have additional benefits Its not just about the fruits and vegetables Its also about being in a natural space outdoors together with othersLitt said she hopes the findings will encourage health professionals policymakers and land planners to look to community gardens and other spaces that encourage people to come together in nature as a vital part of the public health system The evidence is clear she saidAlso ReadAll you need to know about the chicken skin condition called Keratosis PilarisThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever