Finally, there is also a dietary component to longevity that gardening can help with. Willcox says the fundamental principle of eating an abundance of fresh vegetables, ideally from local gardens and markets, is important to longevity, whether the diet is technically Mediterranean or not. In Okinawa, for example, most people grow vegetables such as bitter melon and sweet potatoes in their gardens. If gardening is good, is farming even better? Many of the lifestyle factors associated with longevity — such as living in the country and getting lots of exercise — apply to farmers as well.
Some evidence suggests that farming is one of the healthiest occupations. Researchers from the US compared mortality rates among farmers against rates for the general population and found farmers less likely to die from cancer, heart diseases or diabetes. And studies in Sweden and France have also showed farmers are healthier than non-farmers.
Dr Masahiko Gemma of Waseda University in Tokyo studied self-employed farmers in the central province of Saitama, who were found to have a longer life expectancy that non-farmers and work later into life.
He found that self-employed farmers enjoyed statistically significant and positive changes in psychological and physical conditions before and after engaging in light farming activities. Researchers have demonstrated a link between a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish and olive oil with slower aging Credit: Alamy.
Agriculture is an industry in most of the Western world, and farmers can experience difficult or dangerous working conditions, high debt and increasingly automated processes. Neither farming nor gardening will ultimately guarantee a longer lifespan. But some of the lifestyle factors associated with both — namely going outside, engaging in light physical activity and eating a healthy plant-based diet — just might.
But a question that two speakers asked struck a chord with me and made me think. And why do your readers garden? I've interviewed a few hundred gardeners over the past 25 years or so, and they've told me that they love to grow plants for many different reasons. Gardening relaxes some people. Such down-to-earth chores as digging in the dirt, pulling weeds, and dividing irises gives others a second burst of energy.
Some people get into growing because they fall in love with a particular group of plants orchids, roses, daylilies. A few are turned on to gardening by a friend or neighbor. Many want to beautify the land around their homes or in community plots. A number of gardeners have told me that their hobby gives them a wonderful feeling of satisfaction because of the beauty created where there was none before or a summer's worth of chemical-free vegetables to feed the family.
And so many people have mentioned that they feel at peace in the garden -- they forget the world and its cares for a few hours. There's another frequent answer to the question, Why do you garden? Often, these are childhood memories -- maybe of a maiden aunt's dahlias, which seemed so huge and colorful to a 7-year-old.
Or of a grandmother's moon vine, which would open after dark on sultry summer evenings while family and neighbors sat on the front porch and chatted. Somewhat surprisingly, the memories don't even have to be pleasant to turn someone into a gardener. I can't count of the number of retired businessmen who told me that they grew up on a farm and couldn't wait to get away from such a hard way of life.
But what did they do the minute they left their successful business careers behind? Happily plant and tend a -- usually huge -- vegetable garden! In my case, my mother had the proverbial green thumb. She could grow anything. She was the person to whom friends and acquaintances brought dying houseplants so she could nurse them back to robust health. I honestly didn't pay too much attention -- except to the snake plants Sansevieria, also known as mother-in-law's tongue.
Lucky for us, because it turns out that love of dirt is beneficial for our overall health. Research suggests that children who are exposed to dirt or its more politically correct term, soil in their formative years develop stronger immune systems and lower incidences of conditions such as asthma, eczema, and other allergies. When we overload we become irritable, error-prone, and stressed out.
Gardening is your cure! The study divided two groups between gardening for thirty minutes and reading indoors after performing a stressful task. Those that gardened reported to be in a much better mood than the group that read. One wonders if the readers would have felt better reading outside. The reason for the improved moods of gardeners might be found in the soil itself.
Within the soil is a naturally forming and harmless bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae. When used in studies, this bacteria raises serotonin levels in the brain, a neurotransmitter that controls cognitive functions and mood. In fact, gardening has been used by researchers in Norway to help patients with severe depression. In all cases the patients experienced improved moods; even several months after the studies took place.
There is nothing more rewarding than planting and maintaining a vibrant vegetable garden and basking in the abundance of a fresh harvest. As most who garden can attest, the taste of fresh vegetables is far superior to anything you can purchase at the supermarket. There really is no comparison. A well planted and well maintained tomato plant can provide months of fresh tomatoes for your kitchen. Beyond their uses on your kitchen table, gardeners can use their skills in the garden for their medicine cabinets as well.
Many natural herbal remedies can be made at home and offer simple methods for treating minor complaints.
Anyone who has suffered from sunburn can attest to how soothing a small amount of sap from an aloe plant can be. I can hear you thinking it now. I exercise regularly, eat great, and am generally happy in life without gardening. Gardening is a hobby that provides a feeling of accomplishment and reward for those who do it.
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