A garden is more than a pretty place to grow flowers or vegetables. It’s a place to cultivate knowledge about plants and their natural environment.
Organic farming limits the use of synthetic chemicals in soil production and farm practices. It encourages preventative strategies, such as crop rotation and disease-tolerant varieties.
- Gardening is associated with better health outcomes, including lower odds of cardiovascular disease and even diabetes, according to new research.
- Research suggests that gardening can also reduce risk of depression and anxiety.
- Outdoor gardening is most beneficial, but indoor gardening can also be advantageous.
Maybe you’ve been gardening your entire life or just started growing your own plants in the past few years. Whether you have been tending to a few flowers or have a luscious garden full of produce for weeknight meals, it can be a very gratifying experience to grown your own food and plants. And all of that time gardening may be benefiting your body in other ways, too. A new study found that gardening may just be the secret to a healthy heart.
The study, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, looked at data collected from over 146,000 American adults over the age of 65. The participants were broken down into three groups — gardeners (older adults who garden), exercisers (ones who engage in other physical activities besides gardening) and non-exercisers (sedentary individuals). Gardeners reported spending more time staying physically active compared to exercisers, and they were able to meet the recommended 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week with just gardening alone.
Compared to sedentary individuals, gardeners reported significantly lower odds of cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and even diabetes. They were also more likely to meet their fruit and veggie quota for the day (truly reaping the fruit’s of their labor!).
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But this isn’t the first time gardening has been associated with better health outcomes. Prior literature suggests that gardening can reduce depression and anxiety while increasing overall life satisfaction. Research also supports that gardening may promote healthy sleep too.
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