If current global trends are correct, by 2025, nearly 41 million people will die from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)—including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and severe mental illness—representing about 74 percent of all death in the world. Despite major advances in medicine over the past few decades, the number of deaths from NCDs is still increasing.
One of the main factors behind the increase in NCDs is urbanization: Research clearly shows that people living in urban areas without green spaces have higher rates of NCDs. Considering that by 2050, two out of three people may live in cities, these trends are very worrying.
On the other hand, many recent studies of population in cities around the world show that people living in green areas not only present a lower rate of NCDs but also have better physical and mental health. This relationship remains statistically strong regardless of a person’s socioeconomic status, age, or gender. In fact, the evidence of this organization is so strong that, in 2022, 196 countries at the United Nations Conference on Biological Organizations signed an international agreement, part of which includes a commitment to increase green space in cities by 2030.
What is it about green spaces that provides resistance to NCDs? Greater opportunities for exercise, fresh air, and less heat stress are all reasons that have been suggested—with evidence supporting a specific role for urban plants in these factors.
Importantly, there is also strong scientific evidence showing that when we interact directly with nature, biochemical pathways are triggered in our bodies that lead to significant beneficial health effects. This research article started with a group of Japanese scientists trying to find out the real benefits of forest bathing—shinrin-yoku. The evidence they found was so strong that currently, in Japan, instead of medication, patients with certain NCDs are given time to spend time sitting in the woods.
The good news is that we can get the same health benefits from urban green spaces and house plants. Clinical trials show that something as simple as having a vase of unscented roses on your desk, for example, can significantly lower your blood pressure and bring physical and mental calm. So can leafy plants in your home and office, especially those with green and yellow leaves.
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