September 17, 2024 • 14 mins
Today I discuss a few connected research papers that show, quite amazingly, that when you spend time in nature, the microbiome of your surroundings impacts your own microbiome and much more.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Hey, everyone, welcome to another edition of Wisdom Wednesdays. Today's
episode is all about the benefits of spending time in
nature and specifically green spaces and waterways and looking at
the impact on your health and particularly your microbiome. So
over the past few decades, it's actually become pretty clear
that health isn't just about what happens inside our bodies.
(00:33):
It's also about how we react and interact with the environment.
And it turns out that the microbes in the er soil, plants,
and water play a critical role in shaping the human microbiome,
which in turn influences many aspects of our health, from
our immunity to our mental well being. And this emerging
(00:55):
field of research sheds light on the importance of reconnecting
with nature to improve our microbiome and ultimately our overall health.
And I knew a bit about this, but diving into
it actually really emphasized the importance of these green spaces
and blue spaces as well. Actually, so first let's look
(01:18):
at green spaces, so parks, forest gardens, those sorts of things,
how they affect our microbiome. So one of the key
papers on this topic was a twenty twenty one article
called Colliding and Interacting Microbes and Microbial Communities Consequences, and
this study highlighted, or the paper highlighted, our urbanization and
(01:42):
the industrialization of our environment has led to a significant
reduction and exposure to diverse microorganisms. And the researchers discussed
how our ancestors lived in much closer contact with nature,
interacting with the soul plants and animals that carry beneficial microbes,
(02:04):
and these microbes would have constantly reshaped and balanced our
immune systems, our gut health, and even our mental health.
But in modern cities and many of us spend times
indoors in these hyper sanitized environments, and that's got worse
since COVID. And although people might think of this as
(02:24):
clean living, it's really a kind of a microbial desert.
And our immune systems evolved to rely on regular exposure
to a wide array of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms
to stay healthy. And then without these exposures, we see
an increase in immune related disorders like asthma, allergies, and
(02:49):
autoimmune diseases. Anybody noticed that they've all been on the rise.
Now this phenomenon is actually called immune disregulation and It's
well known, for instance, that kids who are raised in
the countryside and especially on farms, have much more diverse
microbiomes and healthier immune systems than city kids. And this
(03:12):
study argues that urban habitat restoration, so restoring green spaces
in cities can actually help us to rewild the microbiome,
as does spending significant time in nature. And some of
you may be familiar with the concept of forest beathing
that is kicked off out of Japan, where people go
(03:33):
and spend significant amounts of time in the forest, and
it's supposed to have a pretty significant effect on their
physical and mental health, and now we might know why,
or at least a contributing factor. So this microbiome rewilding
hypothesis suggests that restoring this rich biodiversity in our environment
(03:55):
can restore the balance in our bodies, offering protection against
immune related diseases. But it's not just green spaces that
have a significant impact. We know also that waterways, things
such as lakes, rivers, and oceans introduce us to another
rich layer of microbial diversity. And I read an interesting
(04:17):
paper published in the Journal of the Science of the
Total Environment, and it was actually just this year it's
called the role of natural waterways in supporting human microbiomes,
and it actually stated that when we spend time around
and in water, through swimming, fishing, or simply being close
(04:39):
to it, can have distinct benefits for human health. So
my morning walk along the beach with my dogs might
actually be doing quite a lot of beneficial things. This
paper highlights that the microbiomes of aquatic environments are vastly
different to those of land based environments, and the microorganisms
(05:01):
found in rivers, lakes, and oceans, such as cyanobacteria and
aquatic fungi, can actually colonize our skin and even influence
our gut microbiota when we spend time there. These interactions
can strengthen our microbiomes by introducing new species of microbes,
(05:22):
which diversify our internal ecosystems. And what has become really
really clear lately is that it's the diversity of our
microbiome that actually drives health, and when we have a
narrow microbiome, it is not good for us. And this
research also suggests that regular exposure to natural waterways can
(05:44):
even help regulate our moods, reduce stress, and even boost
immune function. Through this unique microbial transfer, and it really
underscores the value of blue spaces as well as green
spaces for improving mental health. And it's being reported that
people who live near water, whether it's an ocean or
(06:06):
a river or a lake, often report lower levels of
stress and mood disorders, as well as improved cognitive function.
And this calming effect of water, sometimes known as the
blue mind, has been linked to lower cortisol levels and
reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. And it turns out
it might not just be looking at the water, but
(06:28):
actually being around it and being exposed to the microbes
that come there. So let's not circle back to really
this core problem that we face today, which is massive urbanization.
And the twenty eighteen paper called Urbanization and the Microbiome,
Causes and Consequences and goes into a deep dive about
(06:52):
how living in cities reduces our contacts with nature's microbiomes,
and it actually reviews this paper review decades of research
showing that the rise of modern cities with the concrete
jungles and lack of green or blue spaces, has a
direct correlation with increased cases of chronic inflammatory diseases, allergies,
(07:13):
and even psychiatric conditions like anxiety and depression, and the
authors explain that we've essentially removed ourselves from the microbial
ecosystems that help regulate our health. And it's particularly eye
opening because it talks about the biodiversity hypothesis, which is
(07:33):
basically that our immune system, our a healthy immune system,
is developed in this environment with lots of different microbial life,
and by cutting ourselves off from nature, we're losing those
critical inputs to our our that our immune system actually
needs to function optimally. And we know that your immune
(07:55):
system interfaces with the gut brain access as well, because
about eighty percent of your immune system resides in the gut,
and that's how it can affect our brain and our
mental health as well. And also, actually a little aside
on this, some people that we've all seen them, probably
make things a bucket load worse by constantly using disinfectant
(08:18):
wipes wherever they are. And you see those people here
constantly disinfecting the hands of their kids, and that really
is not good. Now. The authors of this study proposed
that restoring green spaces and increasing access to waterways could
reverse some of the damage caused by urbanization and by
reintroducing ourselves to these diverse microbial communities found in nature,
(08:43):
we can help to recalibate our immune systems, improve our
gut health, and even support mental resilience. And it was
it was very popular in Britain one hundred years ago
when people were sick was they were sent out to
the country to recover. We know it was about getting
away from the city and the cleaner hor but there
could have been more to it on this. So to
(09:06):
build on this idea, there's a twenty seventeen paper called
Urban Habitat Restoration and Microbuyoing Rewilding, and that talks about
how restoring the diversity in urban areas can help to
prevent disease. And they're essentially saying we need a plant,
lots more trees, plants and waterways. Well you don't plant waterways,
(09:27):
you know what I mean, have these waterways to rewild
our microbombs. And they actually talked about a pretty fascinating
case study where there was and they took this area
and restored a whole heap of degraded pasture into a
biodiverse green space where soil bacteria were reintroduced and then
(09:50):
microbial diversity flourished and they measured this and over time
this intervention improved the health of the soil, which then
had a positive effect on the health of the people
who were living nearby, and by increasing the microbial diversity
in the environment, the researchers actually saw improvements in immune
(10:12):
function and reduction in cases of asthma, allergies, and even
certain skin conditions. So this is not just theory by
a bunch of hippies. This is actually proper science where
they've actually seen the changing of the environment actually impacting
on people's microbiomes and in turn on their health. So
(10:33):
let's chat briefly about mental health as well. There was
an interesting paper published in Nature Mental Health in twenty
twenty three and explore the effects of both daytime and
nighttime natural light exposure on mood and psychiatric disorders, and
the researchers found that regular exposure to natural light and
(10:55):
then natural darkness, especially in green spaces, helps to regulate
circadian rhythms, which are really critical for mood stability. And
the study also discussed how increased exposure to natural environments
can lower the risk of developing psychiatric conditions like anxiety
and depression, and it turns out that nature does more
(11:18):
than just directly calm the mind by chilling your out.
It actually physically interacts with our bodies, introducing us to
this microbial environment that can enhance our mental well being
and protecting against these mood disorders. And that builds on,
as I said earlier, what we know about the gut
brain access, and that concept was discussed in the twenty
(11:43):
twenty one microbiome rewilding paper, and a balanced microbiome doesn't
just influence digestion and immune health, it also, through the
gut brain access, plays a key role in mood regulation
and also in cognitive function. So when we're spar time
in nature, whether it's green spaces or blue spaces, we're
(12:03):
actually feeding our microbiome their diversity that it needs to
support both good digestive health and also good bringing and
mental health and reduce the risk of mood issues, including
depression and anxiety. So let's talk about what we can
do practically. So obviously the first thing would be spending
(12:24):
time in green spaces, just making a habit to go
out and whether it's in the evening or on the weekend,
or if you can at lunchtime, just get out and
spend a bit of time in nature, because every little
bit counts. And then it's also engaging with waterways, whether
it's a lake, walking along a river, or walking along
(12:46):
the beats by the ocean, because that introduces, remember, another
source of microbes that are different. And then just things
like gardening. Digging your hands into the soil is a
simple but effective way to a boost your exposure to
these diverse microbiomes, and studies have actually shown that gardeners
(13:07):
tend to have much more diverse both skin and gut microbiomes, which,
as I said, improves our immune health. And then it's
about mindful interaction, right, so when you're nature, it's not
just walking through it on your phone, it's actually engaging
with it. Touching the plants, touching the soil, the grass,
(13:28):
getting into the getting your feet into the water. They
all help to introduce these beneficial microbes into our body.
And I think the key thing, especially with our kids,
is to balance indoor in our door time. So if
you spend a lot of time indoors, try to make
sure you get outside as regularly as possible and get
(13:49):
some fresher in, but ideally in those green and blue spaces.
So that's it for this week. Folks, catch you next time.
Hey, everyone, welcome to another edition of Wisdom Wednesdays. Today's
episode is all about the benefits of spending time in
nature and specifically green spaces and waterways and looking at
the impact on your health and particularly your microbiome. So
over the past few decades, it's actually become pretty clear
that health isn't just about what happens inside our bodies.
(00:33):
It's also about how we react and interact with the environment.
And it turns out that the microbes in the er soil, plants,
and water play a critical role in shaping the human microbiome,
which in turn influences many aspects of our health, from
our immunity to our mental well being. And this emerging
(00:55):
field of research sheds light on the importance of reconnecting
with nature to improve our microbiome and ultimately our overall health.
And I knew a bit about this, but diving into
it actually really emphasized the importance of these green spaces
and blue spaces as well. Actually, so first let's look
(01:18):
at green spaces, so parks, forest gardens, those sorts of things,
how they affect our microbiome. So one of the key
papers on this topic was a twenty twenty one article
called Colliding and Interacting Microbes and Microbial Communities Consequences, and
this study highlighted, or the paper highlighted, our urbanization and
(01:42):
the industrialization of our environment has led to a significant
reduction and exposure to diverse microorganisms. And the researchers discussed
how our ancestors lived in much closer contact with nature,
interacting with the soul plants and animals that carry beneficial microbes,
(02:04):
and these microbes would have constantly reshaped and balanced our
immune systems, our gut health, and even our mental health.
But in modern cities and many of us spend times
indoors in these hyper sanitized environments, and that's got worse
since COVID. And although people might think of this as
(02:24):
clean living, it's really a kind of a microbial desert.
And our immune systems evolved to rely on regular exposure
to a wide array of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms
to stay healthy. And then without these exposures, we see
an increase in immune related disorders like asthma, allergies, and
(02:49):
autoimmune diseases. Anybody noticed that they've all been on the rise.
Now this phenomenon is actually called immune disregulation and It's
well known, for instance, that kids who are raised in
the countryside and especially on farms, have much more diverse
microbiomes and healthier immune systems than city kids. And this
(03:12):
study argues that urban habitat restoration, so restoring green spaces
in cities can actually help us to rewild the microbiome,
as does spending significant time in nature. And some of
you may be familiar with the concept of forest beathing
that is kicked off out of Japan, where people go
(03:33):
and spend significant amounts of time in the forest, and
it's supposed to have a pretty significant effect on their
physical and mental health, and now we might know why,
or at least a contributing factor. So this microbiome rewilding
hypothesis suggests that restoring this rich biodiversity in our environment
(03:55):
can restore the balance in our bodies, offering protection against
immune related diseases. But it's not just green spaces that
have a significant impact. We know also that waterways, things
such as lakes, rivers, and oceans introduce us to another
rich layer of microbial diversity. And I read an interesting
(04:17):
paper published in the Journal of the Science of the
Total Environment, and it was actually just this year it's
called the role of natural waterways in supporting human microbiomes,
and it actually stated that when we spend time around
and in water, through swimming, fishing, or simply being close
(04:39):
to it, can have distinct benefits for human health. So
my morning walk along the beach with my dogs might
actually be doing quite a lot of beneficial things. This
paper highlights that the microbiomes of aquatic environments are vastly
different to those of land based environments, and the microorganisms
(05:01):
found in rivers, lakes, and oceans, such as cyanobacteria and
aquatic fungi, can actually colonize our skin and even influence
our gut microbiota when we spend time there. These interactions
can strengthen our microbiomes by introducing new species of microbes,
(05:22):
which diversify our internal ecosystems. And what has become really
really clear lately is that it's the diversity of our
microbiome that actually drives health, and when we have a
narrow microbiome, it is not good for us. And this
research also suggests that regular exposure to natural waterways can
(05:44):
even help regulate our moods, reduce stress, and even boost
immune function. Through this unique microbial transfer, and it really
underscores the value of blue spaces as well as green
spaces for improving mental health. And it's being reported that
people who live near water, whether it's an ocean or
(06:06):
a river or a lake, often report lower levels of
stress and mood disorders, as well as improved cognitive function.
And this calming effect of water, sometimes known as the
blue mind, has been linked to lower cortisol levels and
reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. And it turns out
it might not just be looking at the water, but
(06:28):
actually being around it and being exposed to the microbes
that come there. So let's not circle back to really
this core problem that we face today, which is massive urbanization.
And the twenty eighteen paper called Urbanization and the Microbiome,
Causes and Consequences and goes into a deep dive about
(06:52):
how living in cities reduces our contacts with nature's microbiomes,
and it actually reviews this paper review decades of research
showing that the rise of modern cities with the concrete
jungles and lack of green or blue spaces, has a
direct correlation with increased cases of chronic inflammatory diseases, allergies,
(07:13):
and even psychiatric conditions like anxiety and depression, and the
authors explain that we've essentially removed ourselves from the microbial
ecosystems that help regulate our health. And it's particularly eye
opening because it talks about the biodiversity hypothesis, which is
(07:33):
basically that our immune system, our a healthy immune system,
is developed in this environment with lots of different microbial life,
and by cutting ourselves off from nature, we're losing those
critical inputs to our our that our immune system actually
needs to function optimally. And we know that your immune
(07:55):
system interfaces with the gut brain access as well, because
about eighty percent of your immune system resides in the gut,
and that's how it can affect our brain and our
mental health as well. And also, actually a little aside
on this, some people that we've all seen them, probably
make things a bucket load worse by constantly using disinfectant
(08:18):
wipes wherever they are. And you see those people here
constantly disinfecting the hands of their kids, and that really
is not good. Now. The authors of this study proposed
that restoring green spaces and increasing access to waterways could
reverse some of the damage caused by urbanization and by
reintroducing ourselves to these diverse microbial communities found in nature,
(08:43):
we can help to recalibate our immune systems, improve our
gut health, and even support mental resilience. And it was
it was very popular in Britain one hundred years ago
when people were sick was they were sent out to
the country to recover. We know it was about getting
away from the city and the cleaner hor but there
could have been more to it on this. So to
(09:06):
build on this idea, there's a twenty seventeen paper called
Urban Habitat Restoration and Microbuyoing Rewilding, and that talks about
how restoring the diversity in urban areas can help to
prevent disease. And they're essentially saying we need a plant,
lots more trees, plants and waterways. Well you don't plant waterways,
(09:27):
you know what I mean, have these waterways to rewild
our microbombs. And they actually talked about a pretty fascinating
case study where there was and they took this area
and restored a whole heap of degraded pasture into a
biodiverse green space where soil bacteria were reintroduced and then
(09:50):
microbial diversity flourished and they measured this and over time
this intervention improved the health of the soil, which then
had a positive effect on the health of the people
who were living nearby, and by increasing the microbial diversity
in the environment, the researchers actually saw improvements in immune
(10:12):
function and reduction in cases of asthma, allergies, and even
certain skin conditions. So this is not just theory by
a bunch of hippies. This is actually proper science where
they've actually seen the changing of the environment actually impacting
on people's microbiomes and in turn on their health. So
(10:33):
let's chat briefly about mental health as well. There was
an interesting paper published in Nature Mental Health in twenty
twenty three and explore the effects of both daytime and
nighttime natural light exposure on mood and psychiatric disorders, and
the researchers found that regular exposure to natural light and
(10:55):
then natural darkness, especially in green spaces, helps to regulate
circadian rhythms, which are really critical for mood stability. And
the study also discussed how increased exposure to natural environments
can lower the risk of developing psychiatric conditions like anxiety
and depression, and it turns out that nature does more
(11:18):
than just directly calm the mind by chilling your out.
It actually physically interacts with our bodies, introducing us to
this microbial environment that can enhance our mental well being
and protecting against these mood disorders. And that builds on,
as I said earlier, what we know about the gut
brain access, and that concept was discussed in the twenty
(11:43):
twenty one microbiome rewilding paper, and a balanced microbiome doesn't
just influence digestion and immune health, it also, through the
gut brain access, plays a key role in mood regulation
and also in cognitive function. So when we're spar time
in nature, whether it's green spaces or blue spaces, we're
(12:03):
actually feeding our microbiome their diversity that it needs to
support both good digestive health and also good bringing and
mental health and reduce the risk of mood issues, including
depression and anxiety. So let's talk about what we can
do practically. So obviously the first thing would be spending
(12:24):
time in green spaces, just making a habit to go
out and whether it's in the evening or on the weekend,
or if you can at lunchtime, just get out and
spend a bit of time in nature, because every little
bit counts. And then it's also engaging with waterways, whether
it's a lake, walking along a river, or walking along
(12:46):
the beats by the ocean, because that introduces, remember, another
source of microbes that are different. And then just things
like gardening. Digging your hands into the soil is a
simple but effective way to a boost your exposure to
these diverse microbiomes, and studies have actually shown that gardeners
(13:07):
tend to have much more diverse both skin and gut microbiomes, which,
as I said, improves our immune health. And then it's
about mindful interaction, right, so when you're nature, it's not
just walking through it on your phone, it's actually engaging
with it. Touching the plants, touching the soil, the grass,
(13:28):
getting into the getting your feet into the water. They
all help to introduce these beneficial microbes into our body.
And I think the key thing, especially with our kids,
is to balance indoor in our door time. So if
you spend a lot of time indoors, try to make
sure you get outside as regularly as possible and get
(13:49):
some fresher in, but ideally in those green and blue spaces.
So that's it for this week. Folks, catch you next time.
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