Posted by Benjamin Roudenis on February 23, 2009
Getting plenty of vitamin D – more than diet can offer – appears to provide potent protection against colds, flu and even pneumonia, a new study reports. Although the amount of protection varies by season, the trend is solid: As the amount of vitamin D circulating in blood climbs, risk of upper respiratory tract infections falls.
Sunshine vitamin diminishes risk of colds, flu [ScienceNews]
Posted by Benjamin Roudenis on February 18, 2009
Elderly adults tend to live longer if their homes are near a park or other green space, regardless of their social or economic status. College students do better on cognitive tests when their dorm windows view natural settings. Children with ADHD have fewer symptoms after outdoor activities in lush environments. Residents of public housing complexes report better family interactions when they live near trees.
. . . . .
Humans living in landscapes that lack trees or other natural features undergo patterns of social, psychological and physical breakdown that are strikingly similar to those observed in other animals that have been deprived of their natural habitat, Kuo said.
“In animals what you see is increases in aggression, you see disrupted parenting patterns, their social hierarchies are disrupted,” she said.
Considerable research has found that violence and aggression are highest in urban settings devoid of trees and grass, for example.
Science Suggests Access To Nature Is Essential To Human Health [ScienceDaily]