10 Benefits of Planting Trees for Health

Discover the numerous health benefits of planting trees, from improved air quality to stress reduction and community bonding. Start planting trees today for a healthier environment and a happier life.

Benefits of Planting Trees for Health

A beautiful environment certainly cannot be separated from the shade of trees. If there are many trees around you, the air will definitely feel cooler and fresher to breathe. The heat of the sun can also be blocked by the lush leaves. 

Well, that’s a little bit of the many benefits of trees for life. In fact, the benefits of planting trees can also be felt by humans, including for body health.

Unfortunately, now in big cities the number of trees is decreasing because they are “eroded” by buildings. Even if there are, trees only decorate the sides of the highway, and the number is not much. In fact, you really need oxygen, especially in the morning. 

From there, you may begin to realize the importance of planting trees and decorating your home with various plants, both for room decoration and to make your yard greener. One thing that gives hope is the growing interest in urban farming.

Another motivation to increase enthusiasm for planting trees, there are several health benefits that you can feel.

1. Increase life expectancy

Reported from the USNews page, there is a study from Harvard University, United States, involving 110,000 women for 8 years. From the study, it was concluded that women who live in green areas have a 12 percent lower non-accidental death rate than women who live in arid areas. This is because women who live in barren areas are at higher risk of respiratory infections and various types of cancer.

2. Relieve stress and depression

Still from Harvard University research, it is also stated that green environments tend to increase physical activity and social connections that can reduce depression. Meanwhile, gardening (including planting trees ) is now recommended by a number of doctors as a stress-relieving therapy. In fact, gardening for 30 minutes is more effective for relieving stress than reading a book. This is because soil has been shown to have an antidepressant effect, similar to sedatives.

3. Reduces asthma symptoms

A few years ago, there was a study that used sensors to be placed in several areas in the United States. The sensors functioned to measure how much nitrogen dioxide was present in the surrounding air.

Nitrogen dioxide is one of six air pollutants that often appear in environments filled with industrial smoke and motor vehicles. As a result, children who live in polluted environments and do not have many trees are protected from missing school days due to asthma attacks.

Not only that, green environments are said to reduce elderly visits to emergency units due to asthma. In other words, planting lots of trees can relieve asthma symptoms and improve the quality of life of the surrounding community.

4. Improve sleep quality

Sleep quality is largely determined by air factors. If your living environment is green, the surrounding air tends to be clean and fresh. When you sleep, you don’t need to wake up because of coughing and shortness of breath. The next day, you wake up feeling fresh and can carry out activities with enthusiasm.

5. Improves hand coordination and mental acuity

According to dr. Nitish Basant Adnani, BMedSc, MSc , from KlikDokter, strength, flexibility, and hand coordination are important in daily activities. Well, by regularly gardening and planting trees, it can strengthen muscles and hands and train fine motor skills. “Moreover, doing gardening activities regularly has a protective effect on cognitive abilities to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 50 percent,” added dr. Nitish.

Planting trees is not only good for the environment, but also good for the health of the planter. Not only that, many plants and trees at home also make the residence greener, more beautiful, and healthier! Plus, with the increasing trend of planting trees, there are already many online shops that sell various plants. 

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