Gardening helps reduce cancer risk and improve mental health

Getting more exercise, eating right, and making new friends are all good habits, but new research from CU Boulder suggests the addition of gardening can have a powerful impact. I’m here.

The first randomized controlled trial of community gardening, funded by the American Cancer Society, found that people who started gardening consumed more fiber and got more physical activity. I was. I also found that my stress and anxiety levels dropped significantly. The findings were published in The Lancet Planetary Health.

“These findings provide concrete evidence that community gardening can play an important role in the prevention of cancer, chronic disease, and psychiatric disorders,” said Professor of Environmental Studies at CU Boulder. As one senior author Jill Litt puts it:

Bridging research gaps

Litt has spent much of her career identifying affordable, scalable and sustainable ways to reduce the risk of disease, especially among low-income communities.

Gardening seemed like the ideal place to start.

“Everywhere you go, you’re told there’s something about gardening that makes you feel good,” said Ritt, who is also a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health. It’s hard, she said, to get support for a new program without proof.

Some small observational studies have found that people who garden tend to eat more fruits and vegetables and have a healthier weight. It is unclear whether this is a trend or whether gardening affects health.

Only three studies applied the gold standard of scientific research, randomized controlled trials, to recreation. No one paid particular attention to community gardening.

To fill the gap, Litt recruited 291 non-horticultural adults (mean age 41 years) from the Denver area. More than one-third of her are Hispanic, and more than half come from low-income families. After the last spring frost, half were assigned to the community gardening group and half to the control group.

The gardening group received a free community garden plot, some seeds and seedlings, and an introductory course in gardening through the nonprofit Denver Urban Gardens program and research partners.

Both groups were regularly surveyed about their nutritional intake and mental health, underwent physical measurements, and wore activity monitors.

fiber boost

By fall, people in the gardening group were eating an average of 1.4 grams more fiber per day than the control group. This is an increase of about 7%.

The authors note that fiber has a profound impact on inflammatory and immune responses, influencing everything from how food is metabolized to the health of the gut microbiota to diabetes and susceptibility to certain cancers. I’m here.

Doctors recommend about 25-38 grams of fiber per day, but the average adult consumes less than 16 grams.

“An extra gram of fiber can have a significant positive impact on your health,” said study co-author James Hebert, director of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the University of South Carolina.

The gardening group also increased their physical activity level by about 42 minutes per week. Public health agencies recommend at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, which meets only a quarter of her US population. Attendees met 28% of the requirement by just visiting the community garden two to three times each week.

Study participants also found their levels of stress and anxiety decreased, and those who participated in the study saw the greatest reduction in mental health problems.

The study also confirmed that even novice gardeners can reap the measurable health benefits of recreation in the first season. Litt believes such profits will increase.

blooming relationship

The findings of the study do not surprise Linda Appel Lipsius, executive director of Denver Urban Gardens (DUG). Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) is his 43-year-old non-profit organization that helps approximately 18,000 people grow their own food on plots of community gardens each year.

“It’s transformative and even life-saving for so many people,” Lipsius said.

Many DUG participants live in areas with extremely limited access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. Some low-income immigrants now live in apartments. Having a garden plot allows you to grow your native food and pass on traditional recipes to your family and neighbors.

The social connections are also huge.

“Even if you come to the garden to grow your own food in a quiet place, you can see your neighbor’s plans, start sharing techniques and recipes, and over time a relationship will blossom,” says Litt, gardening alone. While it’s good for you while you’re doing gardening, community gardening may have additional benefits. “It’s not just about fruits and vegetables. It’s also about being outside with other people in natural spaces.”

Litt says the findings will help health professionals, policy makers and land planners use community gardens and other spaces that encourage people to gather in nature as an important part of the public health system. He said he hopes that he will look to The evidence is clear, she said.