Planting trees in a neighbourhood has been linked to lower risks of heart disease and chronic illnesses.
A study conducted by The University of Louisville (UofL) found people in areas where the number of plants was more than doubled had lower signs of body inflammation.
General inflammation is a key indicator risk for heart disease and other chronic diseases.
Director of the University’s Envirome Institute Aruni Bhatnagar said the results showed trees contributed more to our lives than beauty and shade.
“They can improve the health of the people living around them,” Professor Bhatnagar said.
“Although several previous studies have found an association between living in areas of high surrounding greenness and health, this is the first study to show that a deliberate increase in greenness in the neighbourhood can improve health.
“With these results and additional studies that we hope to report soon, we are closer to understanding the impact of local tree cover on residents’ health. This finding will bolster the push to increase urban greenspaces.”
The study team took samples and documented health data from 745 people living in a four-square-mile area of south Louisville.
The researchers also took detailed measurements of tree coverage and levels of air pollution in the area.
After the samples were collected, 8000 trees and shrubs were planted in the neighbourhood before the health of the residents was reassessed.
They found that those living in the greened area had 13-20 percent lower levels of a biomarker of general inflammation.
“A reduction…of this percentage corresponds to nearly 10-15 percent reduction in the risk of heart attacks, cancer or dying from any disease,” the study report said.
“As more is known about the health impacts of increased tree cover, increased greening in cities may emerge as a key method to improve public health.”
These findings were presented last week by Daniel Riggs, UofL assistant professor of environmental medicine, at the 36th Annual Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology in Santiago, Chile.
The full report is on the University of Louisville website.
