A garden with lots of flowers, plants and shrubs may be good for your health. This is the conclusion of a major study by Wageningen University, carried out in the municipality of Meppel, among others.
The researchers looked at the health of 800,000 Dutch people, with and without a garden. And this shows that people with a garden are on average slightly healthier. According to the study, people with a green garden of at least 50 square meters are 10 percent less likely to suffer from intestinal diseases, cerebral haemorrhage, heart disease and ADHD. The associations tend to be stronger in women than in men.
The researchers linked detailed aerial photos of gardens from a limited number of municipalities with – anonymised – patient files from GP practices. The research was carried out in eight municipalities, including Meppel. And there garden enthusiasts partly understand the conclusions of the research: “I don’t think that I’m healthy only has to do with gardening. It also depends on your DNA,” says Trienke Spijkerman.
“Anyway, in the garden you are always outside and physically busy. I sometimes say jokingly: I don’t have to go to the gym, because my muscles get all the movements they need,” jokes Spijkerman.
Watch the NOS report on the results of the investigation (story continues below the video):