Proof found that trees improve mental health

It has long been thought that living near trees is good for you, but now there is physical proof.

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, found the structure of the brain’s amygdala – grey matter vital for processing anxiety – was more robust in people who live near forests.

Dr Simone Kuhn, a psychologist who led the MRI testing of the brains of 341 German city dwellers aged 61 to 82, found people living near woods were more likely to have a healthy amygdala. However, the correlation did not apply to green areas, wasteland or open-water in cities. His findings were published in Scientific Reports.