Published on
Updated
Reading 1 min.
In recent years, studies confirming the benefits of green spaces on our minds and bodies have multiplied. New research from Finland links frequent contact with nature with drug reduction.
What if the secret to going to the pharmacy less often was to take forest baths, garden or even spend more time in the park near your home? A recent study carried out by researchers from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare estimates that regularly spending time in green spaces would limit the use of medication.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers interviewed 16,000 residents of three major Finnish cities (Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa) aged at least 25, who had participated in a national survey on environmental health carried out between 2015 and 2016.
The authors of the work were based on the number of green spaces (parks, forests, beaches, meadows, etc.) located near the habitats of the participants, within a radius of 1 km. The researchers then asked the city dwellers about their consumption of drugs, as well as the weekly frequency with which they perform physical exercises in green spaces.
When all this data was compiled, the researchers found that taking “nature baths” at least three or four times a week was associated with a 33% reduction in the likelihood of taking psychotropic drugs, compared to once a week, especially to treat insomnia or anxiety. The study establishes a similar observation for drugs intended to treat pathologies such as high blood pressure (36%) and asthma (26%).
These links between contact with nature and reduced drug intake were particularly significant among people with the lowest incomes, while these associations were non-existent among people declaring the highest annual household income, notes the study. One more proof that people in precarious economic situations are confronted with what is called environmental inequalities.