Dose of gardening may be just the medicine for sick

FAMILY doctors should start prescribing gardening to patients battling dementia, diabetes or heart disease, a gover nment health adviser urges.

All three conditions can be prevented and treated with outdoor therapy, says Dr William Bird, who advises Public Health England on physical activity.

He says the National Health Service (NHS) should acknowledge the power of the great outdoors as a medical treatment.

Studies have shown that the stress-relieving effect of access to nature is profound, playing a vital role in improving overall and mental health. Access to green spaces can also increase physical activity, reducing the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Stimulating the senses in the garden has been shown to be an effective therapy for people with dementia.

Bird, who has 30 years’ experience as a GP in Reading, is calling on fellow doctors to start using community gardening programmes to tackle illnesses.

Speaking to the Royal Horticultural Society in London this week, Bird argued that contact with nature could have a dramatic effect on NHS budgets.

He says every £1 (about R18) spent on access to community outdoor schemes could save the health service £5 in other treatments.

“A dose of green space can make a huge difference. Blood pressure reduces, muscle tension reduces. All happen within moments of going into a park or a garden,” says Bird.

Scientists have long known that chronic stress increases the risk of heart disease and strokes. But there is a growing school of thought that stress can also increase the inflammation of cells, thought to play a role in diabetes and dementia.

“Garden therapy includes a broad range of options, from care of single plants to country walks. Even indoor plants have been shown to have a beneficial effect.”

Meanwhile, the hope that vitamin B pills could cut the risk of memory problems in older people appears to have been dashed by fresh research. The study found taking vitamin B12 and folic acid for two years made no difference to mental skills. About 3 000 volunteers with an average age of 74 and high levels of homocysteine, believed to damage brain cells, took part in the study. – Daily Mail