It may have been widely ridiculed but it appears that tree hugging might, in fact, relieve stress and lead to a longer life, says a new study.
Roaming through woods and forests while tuning in to the birdsong actually releases chemicals which improve our immune system, it is claimed.
Dr Tara Swart, lecturer at The Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said new physiological evidence suggests people live longer just by living closer to trees.
Dr Swart, author of best-selling neuroscience book The Source, said: “Time in nature literally changes your lifespan and your health.
“Any trees really, but particularly cedars, pines and cypresses release compounds called phytoncides that trigger the release of natural killer cells in our immune systems. So it basically boosts our immunity. We’ve all been thinking tree-hugging hippies are a ‘woo woo’ thing.
“But now it turns out these trees are secreting chemicals that interact with our immune systems.”
Inhaling the chemicals that trees release into the air is even said to raise the levels of anti-cancer proteins.
Chemicals emitted by plants, to defend against decay or attack by herbivores, are known as “anti-microbial allelochemical volatile organic compounds”.
Dr Swart added that a new field of research called neuroaesthetics, about the impact of beauty and creativity on the brain, has also found that simply spending time in nature is also mentally “calming” – due to in-built evolutionary survival factors. She explained: “The beauty and the awe of it have an effect on us mentally.”
She added in an interview to be released later this week on the High Performance podcast: “The reason birdsong reduces our blood pressure, our breathing rate and our stress levels is because if there was a predator around, birds wouldn’t sing.
“So the fact they’re singing means we’re safe.”
She also told the podcast “positive, meaningful relationships” boost physical and mental health.
She said: “Older people who are still social live longer and get less dementia. And it also counts for younger people in terms of mental health.”