We all are trying to live greener, knowing how important the environment is. But have we thought about the health benefits that come with living green? A new study by the Barcelona Insitute for Global Health (ISGlobal) says that living in greener neighborhoods slow cognitive decline.
Does Living in Greener Neighborhoods Slow Cognitive Decline?
The study was published in Environmental Health Perspectives. It showed cognitive loss that comes with aging is a little slower in people that live in greener areas.
Researchers did a 10 year follow up of 6,500 people age 45 to 68 from the Whitehall II cohort in the UK. At 3 different timepoints during the study, participants did different cognitive tests.
These tests accessed their verbal and mathematical reasoning, verbal fluency, and short term memory. How they knew that the participants lived in green spaces was through satellite images.
“There is evidence that the risk for dementia and cognitive decline can be affected by exposure to urban-related environmental hazards (such as air pollution and noise) and lifestyle (such as stress and sedentary behavior). In contrast, living near green spaces has been proposed to increase physical activity and social support, reduce stress, and mitigate exposure to air pollution and noise.” —Carmen de Keijzer, ISGlobal researcher and 1st author of the study
The study shows a smaller percent in cognitive decline in greener spaces, and that women seem to get the effect more than men.
Read more here.