The science behind Forest Bathing

Forest medicine expert Dr. Qing Li has studied Shinrin-Yoku for over 30 years and published a book, The Art and Science of Forest Bathing, outlining its practice and benefits.

 It is well known that the immune system plays an important part in building our defenses against bacteria, viruses and tumours. One of the ways to test the health of the immune system is by looking at the activity of our natural killer (NK) cells. Natural killer cells are the type of white blood cell and are so called because they can kill and attack unwanted cells, for exemple those infected with a virus. They do this with the help of anti-cancer proteins: perforin, granulysin and granzymes. These proteins drill holes in cell membranes and this causes the target cells to die.

 Several scientific studies show that forest bathing increases the number of these natural killer cells and this effect lasts up to 30 days.

 Forest bathing has other physical and mental health benefits. According to Dr. Li, forest bathing can increase energy, decrease anxiety, depression and anger, and reduce stress and bring about a state of relaxation. Other research suggests forest bathing as a good strategy for preventative medicine thanks to its ability to promote lower concentrations of the stress hormone, lower pulse rate and lower blood pressure than city environments.

 Why not to spend 2 hours in nature to be more protected for up to 30 days?