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BRAIN NOTES
BY TONY PEREIRA
Tony Pereira is an Independent Consultant and Founder of SuperTrouper365
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HERE is an astonishing statistic-in the United Kingdom, 75 per cent of children spend more time indoors than prisoners! When I was growing up in Penang, we spent as much time as we were allowed to playing sports. My parents used to have to call me many times to come in, and it was only when we could not see the football that we heeded the call, much to their displeasure!
Times have changed. How does this apparent change in lifestyle affect the brain and the overall wellbeing of the children growing up now? We will only find out in time to come.
Introducing Dr Quing Li, a Chinese immunologist and clinical professor at the Nippon Medical School. He studied at Stanford Medical School, among other medical institutions.
Professor Li is the foremost expert in forest medicine and immunology. Forest medicine? What is forest medicine, and how does it help the brain and our overall wellbeing?
Forest medicine is a practice that involves spending mindful, intentional time in nature to improve mental and physical health. It originated in Japan and is called Shirinyoku, which in English means " taking in the forest atmosphere." Is this real, or is it some fad meant to excite us, but that cannot be supported?
Well, here is existing evidence about how forest medicine can actually help the brain.
A study of 20,000 people by the University of Exeter in England found that spending just two hours a week in green spaces significantly improved individuals ' wellbeing.
IMMUNITY CELLS
In a study, Professor Li invited a group of middle-aged business executives in Japan to spend three days in a forest with him. After three days, Li found that the immunity cells of these individuals increased by 40 per cent.
After one month, these immunity cells were still 15 per cent higher than before Li
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invited them to spend time with him in a green space.
What did Li actually discover when we analysed the results of the blood tests of these executives? He found that the levels of perforin of these individuals increased by 28 per cent.
Perforin is a protein that helps destroy infected or abnormal( cancer) cells. Li also found that granzymes increased by 39 per cent and granulysin increased by a remarkable 48 per cent.
Granzymes are powerful enzymes used by our immune system to kill infected, abnormal cells, and granulysin also kills abnormal cells in our body. The reason why Professor Li found an increase in these immunity proteins is interesting.
Scientists have discovered that plants produce chemicals called phytoncides. When this natural oil is mixed with human cells in a lab, the levels of anti-cancer proteins increase after just 3 days.
A short three-day stay in the forest, therefore, provided these executives with additional protection for the rest of their lives. Professor Li is careful not to prescribe this form of activity as a cure for cancer or other serious illnesses.
He rather promotes what he calls forest bathing( i. e. spending time in green areas regularly) to promote overall wellbeing; prevention rather than cure.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Other scientists have found that phytoncides also lower stress, anger and confusion. Nature has health benefits that very few of us are aware of.
It is not just our overall wellbeing though. The brain also benefits from time spent outside. It is no longer disputed that a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor( BDNF) is produced when we are in sunlight. BDNF helps develop new brain cells.
A study conducted by four neuroscientists in the US found that individuals who exercised
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outdoors over time performed better on cognitive tests than those who exercised indoors during the same period.
BDNF further helps in age-related decline and delays neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.
There are many other parts of the brain that neuroscientists have found literally light up when exposed to nature. The hippocampus is the sea-horse-shaped part of the brain that is instrumental in our learning and remembering of events.
Scientists have found that people who regularly exercise in green spaces seem to have better memories than those who spend time in urban areas. When we feel stressed, it means the frequencies operating in our brain are out of balance.
The beta frequency overloads the brain, triggering the release of cortisol and activating the sympathetic nervous system. Cortisol is harmful to the brain. Further, as cortisol is released in the stomach, we sometimes feel sick when under stress.
A short walk, especially in the garden, triggers the release of serotonin in the brain, which helps our mood, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the rest-and-relax system in our body.
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