Numerous studies have consistently
demonstrated that individuals residing in greener neighborhoods experience
various health advantages, such as reduced stress levels and a lower risk of
cardiovascular disease. However, recent research suggests that exposure to
parks, trees, and other green spaces can also decelerate the aging process at
the cellular level.
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| An aerial view of City Park and the New Orleans skyline. Green space is associated with slowing the rate of ageing |
Published in the Science of the Total Environment, the study revealed that individuals living in neighborhoods with more green space exhibited longer telomeres. Telomeres are associated with extended lifespans and a slower aging process.
Telomeres, resembling the plastic
caps on shoelaces, are structures positioned at the termini of each cell’s 46
chromosomes, tasked with preventing DNA unraveling. The replication potential
of a cell is directly linked to the length of its telomeres. As telomeres
shorten to a point where cell division is hindered, the cells undergo
apoptosis.
“Research is now revealing that our living environment, exposure,
exercise habits, and dietary choices can each influence the pace of telomere
degradation and, consequently, our aging process,” noted Aaron Hipp, a professor of parks,
recreation, and tourism management at North Carolina State and a co-author of
the study. “A longer telomere typically
indicates a younger or more protective and beneficial state, safeguarding the
cell from the aging process.”
Green spaces foster physical
activity and community interaction, both correlated with improved health
outcomes. Neighborhoods abundant in trees and greenery are also frequently
cooler, more resilient to flooding, and experience lower rates of air
pollution.
Nevertheless, Hipp pointed out that individuals residing in green neighborhoods afflicted by pollution and segregation did not exhibit longer telomeres compared to similar communities with less greenery. “Green space [still] matters,” he emphasized. “It just underscores how crucial it is to establish a level playing field first, so that people have the time and space to go out and enjoy green spaces.”
Hipp and his colleagues analyzed
medical records, including telomere length measures from biological samples,
and survey responses from over 7,800 individuals who took part in a national
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey conducted between 1999 and
2002. The researchers correlated this information with census data to estimate
the quantity of green space in each person’s neighborhood. Their findings
revealed that a 5% increase in a neighborhood’s green space corresponded to a
1% reduction in cell aging. “The more
green the area, the slower the cell aging,” stated Hipp.
Scott Ogletree, the lead author of the report and a lecturer in landscape and wellbeing at the University of Edinburgh, noted that green spaces had minimal impact on telomere length in participants residing in low-income or segregated areas. This raises new inquiries about the interplay between human health and the environment. Ogletree commented, “It does seem that the neighborhood context” of pollution and segregation “might be washing out any benefit we see from the green space on this particular aspect of people’s health.”
Hipp clarified that the study only considered the participants' residential locations during their physical examinations. He pointed out, “There’s all sorts of interactions with green spaces, and you do them at different [ages].” Exposure to green spaces during childhood might have a different impact on development compared to its effect during middle age.
Peter James, an environmental epidemiologist at Harvard who was
not part of the study, expressed that the report was innovative in its focus on
telomeres rather than other health indicators. James commented, “We generally find green spaces associated
with better health outcomes.” He noted the uniqueness of using telomere
length as a biomarker of aging in this context.
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