Natural murderous cells are one of the ways in which our body fights cancer, and visiting a forest can induce a significant increase both in their number and their activity.
I have previously shown how exposure to nature can Have self -informed psychological benefits, but there was a shortage of data on changes in objective measurements, so I was excited to see this document on the effects of the Bosque Bañera, “a traditional practice characterized When visiting a forest and breathing its air “, at the levels of cortisol stress hormone in the saliva of the participants.
The cortisol level in our saliva is considered an indicator of our stress level, and the salivary cortisol levels of the study participants were significantly lower after walking in a forest or even simply passing the time in one (“observation of the forest “), compared to walking or simply being in a city, as you can see at 0:49 in my video Increased cancer immunity with forests.
However, the same effect was found Before going to the forest too. In fact, “the forest bath, in particular the observation of the forest, was associated with significantly lower levels of cortisol before and after this practice if compared to visiting an urban area.” Therefore, it seems that only the thought To spend time in a forest relieve stress. Then, “when comparing the effects of the bathtub of forests versus the urban visit, the early placebo effect … can play a more important role in the influence of Cortisol [stress] levels that the real experience “of being in the forest. I was ready to rule out this as another nebulous psychological effect until I read this:” Studies on the effects of ‘Shinrin-Yoku’ [forest bathing] In the immune function he showed that visiting a forest can induce a significant increase in the number and activity of natural murderous cells (NK) ”, one of the ways in which our body fights cancer. That caught my attention.
It all started with this study: twelve men were taken On a long weekend trip to walk through the forest, and almost all (11 of 12) showed a greater activity of natural murderous cells later. It wasn’t just a small increase either; They had an increase of about 50 percent in the activity of the NK cells after the trip compared to before the forest, as can see at 2:00 in my video.
Now, exercise can only affect Immune function, but “there were no significant differences in walking before and during the trip.” The study participants only walked in a forest. However, they were taken to a trip somewhere, which introduced other variables, so what happens to randomization Are they going to the city on a trip to the forest? If there were any special forest effect, how long would it last? Do you have to walk through the forest every day? Before jumping to all that, let’s see if it also works in women.
This study had The same type of configuration and the same type of results: a significant impulse in the activity of natural murderous cells when walking in the forest. In addition, this time, the participants were tested again a week later, and their activity of natural murderous cells was still updated. When they tested a month after the trip, their levels returned to the baseline, as can see at 2:45 in my video.
So, walking through the forest once a week should do it, but the study involved a several days trip. Who can go to the forest all weekend, every weekend? How about just a one -day excursion? The title leaves everything: “A one -day trip to a forest park Increase Human Natural Killer Activity and the expression of anti -cancer protein in male subjects “. The same results and the same large jump measured the day after the trip compared to before and with the same power of permanence, as you can see at 3:08 in my video. And, the activity of natural murderous cells was still driven A week later. “This suggests that if people visit a suburban forest park once a week in a day excursion, they can maintain a greater NK activity” and an impulse in the anti -cancer immune function.
However, I am not yet convinced. How can you attribute the benefit to the forest itself, when everything you have are the data before and after? To argue that nature had something to do with that, it would need a control group of study participants who did the same type of travel, but instead went to another place. And here we go. Again, the study title says it all: “Visitor A forest, but not a city, increases the human murderous activity and the expression of anti -cancer proteins. ” At the end of the trip to the forest, the participants experienced an impulse of 80 percent in the NK activity after the forest bath, compared to only a 10 percent increase for the city walkers, as shown below and 3:58 in me video.
Both trips were coincident For physical activity, alcohol and sleep too, other factors and behaviors that can affect immune function. So, we have confirmation of the promoted immunity, but only on the trip of the forest, “indicating that the bathroom of forests really improves the activity of human NK”. In addition, the researchers found that “the increase in NK activity and the number of NK cells induced by a forest bath trip lasted more than 7 days, even 30 days, after the trip.” As you can see below and 4:26 in me videoNK activity was Still a week later and even a little a month later. “This suggests that if people visit a forest once a month, they can maintain a greater NK activity. This can be important in the promotion of health and preventive medicine. ”
Now that we know that the forest bath induces a real effect, the following question is, Because? What do the forests that give us the impulse have? (You can imagine Big Pharma wondering if you can become a pill). We will discover it below.
The video I mentioned at the beginning is Are there health benefits to spend time in nature?.
Are attentive to the publication publication: Why does the forest bath drive to natural murderous cells?.
For other ways to improve immune function, see the publications related below.
