While some of us dislike trees around allergy season, all the health benefits of trees we have to share will make you want to go out and hug a tree today!
5 HEALTH BENEFITS OF TREES
The scientific research on trees and the health benefits of nature is vast; here is a list of our favorite benefits and the ones you can most easily take advantage of:
1. TREES CLEAN THE AIR
Roughly half of the greenhouse effect (high levels of CO2 and other heat-trapping gases that prohibit the atmosphere from releasing the heat into space) is caused by CO2. Trees remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Young trees absorb CO2 at a rate of 13 pounds per tree each year and on average, one acre of new forest can remove about 2.5 tons of carbon annually.
2. TREES PROVIDE OXYGEN
If you think back to your biology classes in school you will recall that when trees absorb CO2 they release oxygen back into the atmosphere through a process called photosynthesis. A mature, leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as 10 people inhale in a year!
3. TREES PROTECT AGAINST WATER POLLUTION
Trees reduce runoff into our water system or bodies of water by allowing the water to run down the trunk of the tree and be absorbed into the mulch, which will filter it and use it to water the tree.
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4. TREES HELP ADHD AND IMPULSE CONTROL
We are not giving medical advice, but science has shown that children with ADHD show fewer symptoms when they have access to nature. To take it a step further, a similar study of healthy kids in public housing found that those who lived in apartments with a relatively green view had better impulse control than those with barren views.
5. TREES PROTECT AGAINST UV RAYS
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Purdue University reports that shade from trees can protect you from 40%-60% of UV-B rays. While this means you are still absorbing 40%-60% of UV-B rays, this has started conversations and even has mathematicians working on ways to perfectly place, grow and trim a tree to maximize trees’ ability to block UV rays.
These are just five of the dozens of health benefits of trees. Share with us how trees have improved your health or attitude lately!
