Peak blossom at Washington’s Tidal Basin; a new study shows that living near greenery makes you 2.5 years younger.
Urban parks and green spaces help combat heat, stimulate biodiversity and bring tranquility to the urban jungle.
They also help slow biological aging, with people who have access to green spaces appearing to be an average of 2.5 years biologically younger than those who don’t, according to a new study published Wednesday in Scientific progress.
“Living near more greenery can help you look younger than your actual age,” Kyeezu Kim, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral researcher at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, told AFP.
“We believe our findings have important implications for urban planning in terms of expanding green infrastructure to promote public health and reduce health inequalities.”
Exposure to green spaces has previously been associated with better cardiovascular health and lower mortality rates.
More physical activity and social interactions are thought to be involved, but whether parks actually slow aging at the cellular level is unclear.
To investigate, the team behind the study examined DNA chemical modifications known as “methylation.”
Previous work has shown that so-called “epigenetic clocks” based on DNA methylation can be a good predictor of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, cognitive function and a more accurate way of measuring age than calendar years.
Kim and colleagues followed more than 900 white and black people from four US cities – Birmingham, Chicago, Minneapolis and Oakland – over a 20-year period, from 1986-2006.
Using satellite imaging, the team assessed how close the participants’ residential addresses were to surrounding vegetation and parks, and combined this data with blood samples taken in the 15s and 20s of the study to determine their biological ages.
The team constructed statistical models to evaluate the results, and control for other variables, such as education, income, and behavioral factors such as smoking, that may have influenced the results.
They found that people whose homes within a five-kilometer (three-mile) radius were surrounded by 30 percent green space were, on average, 2.5 years younger than those whose homes were 20 percent green.
The benefits were not evenly distributed. Black people with more access to green space were biologically only a year younger, while whites were three years younger.
“Other factors, such as stress, qualities of the surrounding green space and other social support, may influence the degree of green space benefits in terms of biological aging,” said Kim, explaining the differences that required further investigation.
For example, parks in deprived areas that are used for illegal activities may be less frequented, negating the benefits.
The next steps may include exploring the link between green spaces and specific health outcomes, she added. It’s also not yet clear exactly how green counteracts aging, but it does, Kim added.
Epidemiologist Manuel Franco, of the University of Alcala and Johns Hopkins, called the study a “well-designed study.”
“We have more and better scientific evidence to increase and promote the use of urban green spaces,” added Franco, who was not involved in the study.
More information:
Kyeezu Kim et al, Urban greenery disparity and epigenetic aging: different associations by race and neighborhood socioeconomic neighborhood, Scientific progress (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf8140
© 2023 AFP
Quote: Living near green makes you 2.5 years younger: study (2023, June 29) retrieved July 2, 2023 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-06-green-space-years-younger. html
This document is copyrighted. Other than fair dealing for private study or research, nothing may be reproduced without written permission. The content is provided for informational purposes only.