Studies have shown that gardening may help reduce cancer risk and promote mental health

Exercise
more.
Eat
right.
Make new friends
.

As we compile our list of resolutions aimed at improving physical and mental health in 2023, a new study from the University of Colorado Boulder suggests there's one that could have a powerful impact: gardening
.

The first randomized controlled trial on community gardening, funded by the American Cancer Society, found that those who started gardening ate more fiber and did more physical activity — two known ways
to reduce the risk of cancer and chronic disease.
Their stress and anxiety levels also dropped
significantly.

The findings were published Jan.
4 in
the journal The Lancet Planetary Health.

Senior author Jill Little, a professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, said, "These findings provide concrete evidence that community gardening can play an important role
in preventing cancer, chronic disease and mental health disorders.
"

Fill research gaps

Litt has spent much of his career looking for affordable, scalable, and sustainable ways to reduce disease risk, especially in low-income communities
.

Gardening seems like an ideal place to start
.

"Everywhere you go, people say gardening makes them feel better," said Little, who is also a researcher
at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.

But reliable science on its benefits is hard to find
.
Without evidence, she said, it would be difficult to get support
for new projects.

Some small-scale observational studies have found that people who enjoy gardening tend to eat more fruits and vegetables and weigh healthier
.
But it's not clear whether healthy people just enjoy gardening, or if gardening affects health
.

Only three studies applied the gold standard of scientific research – randomized controlled trials – to pastimes
.
No one pays special attention to community gardening
.

To fill that gap, Little recruited 291 non-gardening adults from the Denver area, with an average age of 41
.
More than a third are Hispanic and more than half are from low-income families
.

After the last spring frost, half were assigned to the community gardening group and the other half to the control group, asking to wait a year to start gardening
.

The horticulture group received a free community garden, some seeds and seedlings, and learned an introductory course
in gardening through the nonprofit Denver City Gardens Project and a learning buddy.

Both groups received regular surveys on nutritional intake and mental health, had physical measurements, and wore activity monitors
.

Increase fiber

By fall, people in the gardening group ate an average of 1.
4 grams more fiber per day than the control group, an increase of about 7 percent
.

The authors note that fiber has a profound impact on inflammation and immune responses, affecting everything from how we metabolize food to how healthy our gut microbiome is to how susceptible we are to diabetes and certain
cancers.

While doctors recommend 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day, the average adult intake is less than 16 grams
.

Co-author James Herbert, director of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the University of South Carolina, said, "Every gram of fiber added has a huge positive impact
on health.
"

Physical activity levels in the gardening group also increased by about 42 minutes
per week.
Public health agencies recommend at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, but only a quarter of Americans meet that recommendation
.
Participants went to the community garden only two or three times a week, meeting the 28 percent requirement
.

Study participants also experienced a decrease in stress and anxiety levels, with those most stressed and anxious experiencing the greatest
reduction in mental health issues.

The study also confirmed that even novice gardeners can reap considerable health benefits
from this pastime during the first season.
Little believes that as they have more experience and enjoy greater benefits, this benefit will increase
.

The findings didn't come as a surprise to Linda Appel Lipseus, executive director of Denver's Urban Gardens (DUG), a 43-year-old nonprofit that helps about 18,000 people grow their own food
in community gardens each year.

"For a lot of people, it's
transformative, even life-saving," Lipseus said.

Many DUG participants live in areas with very limited
access to affordable, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Some are low-income immigrants who now live in apartments with a garden plot where they can grow their country's food and pass on traditional recipes to their families and neighbors
.

Social connections are also enormous
.

"Even if you come to the garden to grow your own food in a quiet place, you start looking at your neighbor's fields, sharing techniques and recipes, and relationships will blossom
over time," Litt said.
He points out that while growing vegetables alone is good for you, growing vegetables in the community may have additional benefits
.
"It's not just a matter of
fruits and vegetables.
It's also about being outdoors in natural spaces
with others.
”

Little said she hopes the findings will encourage health professionals, policymakers and land planners to focus on community gardens and other spaces that encourage people to come together in nature, an important part of
the public health system.
The evidence, she said, is clear
.

Journal Reference:

1. Jill S Litt, Katherine Alaimo, Kylie K Harrall, Richard F Hamman, James R Hé bert, Thomas G Hurley, Jenn A Leiferman, Kaigang Li, Angel Villalobos, Eva Coringrato, Jimikaye Beck Courtney, Maya Payton, Deborah H Glueck.
   Effects of a community gardening intervention on diet, physical activity, and anthropometry outcomes in the USA (CAPS): an observer-blind, randomised controlled trial.
   The Lancet Planetary Health, 2023; 7 (1): e23 DOI: 10.
   1016/S2542-5196(22)00303-5