7 ways plants can save your life

“All nature is doing her best each moment to make us well — she exists for no other end. Do not resist her.” – Henry David Thoreau. 

Yep, well, like the bard of Walden Pond wrote so long ago, plants — the consumption of and lounging among — can save and prolong your life. The effects are not just physical but mental as well.  Allow us to elaborate and enhance your love of all things green.

This Vulcan/Star Trek blessing is just what might happen if you follow the Mediterranean Diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, olive oil, herbs and spices. and whole grains. A study published in Nutrients found that those who ate more plants than fatty meat, eggs, and dairy had a lower overall risk of shuffling off this mortal coil. “In work that we have done, [plant-based] diets are beneficial in lowering heart disease and stroke,” said Joshua J. Joseph, MD, MPH, Endowed Professor for Research in Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Another study in Annals of Internal Medicine showed that coffee (which comes from a shade-loving plant, after all) can extend your life too. People who drank 1-½  to 3-½ cups of coffee a day were 30% less likely to die in the seven years they were studied.

A recent study published in Environmental Epidemiology found that living in leafy urban areas was associated with reducing cardiovascular disease by 4% vs. purely concrete jungles. Not the hugest figure, but we’ll take it!

Getting out in nature (poetically called forest bathing) for only two hours a day can boost your mood, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. Lead author Mathew White, PhD, senior lecturer, University of Exeter, said, “It doesn’t matter what you are doing when you are in a green space, as long as you are surrounded.”

Heads-up: In a new study from University of British Columbia Okanagan, researchers found that plants produce mitriphylline, a natural compound that may have anti-cancer properties. While it’s too soon to tell if this will join doctors’ arsenal of treatment options, we’re watching with interest. 

Here’s news you can use right now: Broccoli contains sulforaphane, a compound shown to inhibit breast cancer cell growth;  ginger contains gingerol, currently being researched for its anti-tumor effect on colorectal, breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancers; and turmeric contains curcumin, which has shown promise in preventing colorectal, oral, and liver cancer.

Love gazing at your garden? We get it. Protect your vision by following this plant-based advice from The American Academy of Ophthalmology: Vitamin C (found in citrus and other fruits, red bell peppers, and tomatoes) can help prevent or delay age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. Vitamin D (found in avocadoes, almonds, and sunflower seeds) protects cell health in eyes, while lutein and zeaxanthin in leafy greens protect your central vision.

Eating plants may help you avoid “Where are my keys??” moments. Some substances like gingko leaf and beets help memory by improving circulation in the brain (and body). And, says Elaine Stern, L.Ac., MS, practitioner of Chinese medicine and nutrition, NYC, “anti-inflammatory compounds in herbs such as turmeric, clear inflammation, which is one cause of damage to the brain.” 

So, let’s all put down our devices and pack a basket full or fruits and vegetables (plus a big iced coffee), and go picnic in the woods somewhere. Your mind and body will thank you.