Gaby
At first glance, the University of North Carolina’s findings might not sound earth-shattering. But they reveal something important: researchers studying cellular aging found a surprising link.
Previous studies have already linked living in green spaces to a range of health benefits: lower stress, fewer cardiovascular problems, more physical activity, and stronger community ties. Green neighborhoods are also cooler, more flood-resilient, and have lower levels of air pollution.
Now, the team found that living in a natural environment slows the aging of our cells.
They may even affect life expectancy.
Telomeres are caps at the ends of the 46 chromosomes in each cell, like the plastic tips on shoelaces. Those caps prevent DNA strands from fraying. The longer the telomeres, the more times a cell can divide. When telomeres get too short, cells stop functioning and die, The Guardian reported.
Telomere Length – A Unique Biomarker of Aging
Aaron Hipp, a co-author of the study and a professor of parks, recreation, and tourism, says, “Where we live, how much we exercise, and what we eat can all influence the rate of telomere degradation and, consequently, the aging process.”
Hipp and his colleagues examined medical records, including telomere length, from more than 7,800 people who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They found that a 5 percent increase in neighborhood green space was associated with about a 1 percent reduction in cellular aging. The more greenery near a person’s home, the slower their cells aged, Hipp noted.
Peter James, an environmental epidemiologist from Harvard University who was not involved in the study, highlighted the novelty of the findings. By focusing on telomeres instead of more common health measures, the study shows that telomere length is a distinct marker of aging.
The results of the study were published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
