(NaturalPath) A study out of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine linked higher levels of greenness in the form of trees, park space and other vegetation in neighborhoods with significantly lower chronic illnesses including diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. The research was based on 250,000 medicare recipients age 65 and vegetation presence measured by NASA satellite imagery.
The study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine was the first of its kind to measure the impact of greenness on specific cardio-metabolic diseases. The greenest blocks were associated with a significantly lower chronic disease risk. This included a 14 percent risk reduction for diabetes, a 13 percent reduction for hypertension and a 10 percent reduction for lipid disorders.
One researcher said, “Going from a low to a high level of greenness at the block level is associated with 49 fewer chronic health conditions per 1,000 residents, which is approximately equivalent to a reduction in the biomedical aging of the study population by three years.” That’s significant.
This should propel cities to plant as much green as possible. You should too.
Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.