Introduction

City parks and green spaces help to withstand the heat, increase biodiversity and instill a sense of calm in the “urban jungle”.

Green spaces and biological aging

Green spaces can also help slow biological aging, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances, as researchers found that those with access to green spaces are, on average, biologically 2.5 years younger than those without who don’t have them.

“By living closer to more greenery, you can look younger than your actual age,” Keizo Kim, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at the Dr. Feinberg of Northwestern University. infrastructure to improve public health and reduce health inequalities.”

Exposure to green space has previously been associated with improved cardiovascular health and reduced mortality rates.

More physical activity and social interactions are thought to play an important role, but it’s still not clear if gardening actually slows down aging at the cellular level.

To investigate, the team behind the new study looked at chemical modifications of DNA known as methylation.

Previous work has shown that the so-called “epigenetic clock” based on DNA methylation can be a good predictor of health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and cognitive function, as well as a more accurate way to measure age than calendar years.

The Study

Kim and his colleagues followed more than 900 black and white people from four US cities – Birmingham, Chicago, Minneapolis and Oakland – for 20 years, from 1986 to 2006.

Using satellite imagery, the team assessed how close participants’ home addresses were to surrounding plants and gardens, and compared that data with blood samples taken at 15 and 20 years of the study to determine biological age.

The team created statistical models to measure outcomes, controlling for other variables such as education and income, as well as behavioral factors such as smoking, which could influence the outcomes.

They found that people whose homes were surrounded by 30 percent green space within a 5 km (3 mi) radius were biologically 2.5 years younger than those whose homes were surrounded by 20 percent green space.

In fact, blacks who had greater access to green spaces were biologically only one year younger, while whites were three years younger.

Further Research and Conclusion

Kim explained that these differences warrant further study: “Other factors such as stress, characteristics of surrounding green spaces, and social support may influence the extent to which green spaces benefit from biological aging.”

He added that next steps could include exploring the link between green space and specific health outcomes. Kim noted that it is not yet clear exactly how greens slow down aging.

“We have more and more scientific evidence to increase the use and promotion of urban green spaces,” said epidemiologist Manuel Franco of Citadel University and Johns Hopkins University, who was not involved in the study.

Source: Medical Express