Growing up, my parents rarely knew
where I was, only that I was in the
woods. The environment inside my
house was volatile at best, and violent
at worst. But, while it could sometimes
be lonely, it was easy to avoid
angering my parents by just keeping
myself hidden in the woods. Their
general lack of interest in me meant
that I had unfettered and unsupervised
access to the great outdoors.
Being outside made—and still makes—
me happy. Knowing what I know now,
it’s clear that my urge to be barefoot
in the woods was not solely motivated
by fear of being inside, but also
because being in the woods was a
form of self-medication.
There is ample evidence supporting
the role of nature in our physical and
mental well-being. There is also plenty
of data showing how time in nature
can help build resiliency in children.
It would take volumes to present
all these data, so instead, I want to
present a small curation of my favorite.
Tere’s Real Science Behind the Forest’s
FEEL-GOOD NATURE
BENEATH OUR FEET
There is a bacteria that lives in the
soil named Mycobacterium vaccae
that stimulates our brains to release
serotonin. This, in turn, reduces stress
and helps make us happy. This same
bacteria has also been extensively
studied in the medical field because
of its tendency to strengthen immune
responses in patients with cancer
and other autoimmune diseases. Just
consider that again. A bacteria that we
regularly encounter outside actually
improves our bodies’ ability to fight of
disease, and it helps make us happy
through a well-studied neurochemical
pathway via serotonin. This same
pathway is often manipulated by
pharmaceuticals to achieve the same
result. In the interest of full disclosure,
I choose to supplement my time
outdoors with exactly these types
of pharmaceuticals.
Interestingly, tuberculosis is caused
by a related species of bacteria called
Mycobacterium tuberculosis. And in
a poetic twist, doctors now use M.
vaccae to boost the immune system
of people sufering from tuberculosis.
That is, they use one Mycobacterium
to fight another. But I digress.
My point is that even microscopic
organisms in the soil beneath your feet
have direct and beneficial impacts on
human health and happiness. “Rub
some dirt on it,” indeed!
THE CONIFEROUS
AND ODORIFEROUS
The needles of conifers contain a
group of phytochemicals called
phytoncides that are naturally
produced by plants to repel
herbivorous insects. In particular, a
phytoncide called pinene (which gives
pines their addictive smell) stimulates
white blood cells to destroy cancer
cells and viruses. It seems that not only
does pinene activate a specific group
of white blood cells called “Natural
Killer Cells,” but they make the Natural
Killer Cells even more lethal to cancer.
Other odoriferous plants also produce
pinene, including eucalyptus, oranges,
marijuana, and aromatic herbs like dill,
rosemary, and basil. So, every time you