Dr Michael Mosley
My gardening world
Dr Michael Mosley is a science writer and broadcaster. His recent Radio 4 series, Just One Thing, looked at ways to improve your health, and his latest diet book, The Fast 800 Keto, is out now. He lives in Buckinghamshire with his wife, Clare.
What’s growing in the Mosley family garden that you might pick for a healthy meal?
We grow tomatoes, green beans, spinach –
I do love rhubarb, and we have some apple trees. Last year we made apple juice. I’m now attempting to make cider. I chucked in the yeast and stood back. We’ll see whether it will transform itself into delicious cider or not!
You’ve discovered gardening relatively recently, haven’t you?
Absolutely! My wife has always been a keen gardener and I get hauled out to dig things up when necessary. I wouldn’t say I’m the most active gardener in the world – I’m good at picking raspberries and strawberries, but my knowledge is at best superficial.
I’m an enthusiast, let’s put it that way.
We all feel better for a good session of gardening – but is there more to it?
Yes – we’ve known for some time that people who garden tend to be healthier. They tend to maintain their weight and live to a ripe old age. It’s obviously associated with the fact that you’re enjoying it, but we’ve only recently begun to study the impact of the microbes you come in contact with. The one way we know you can boost the diversity of microbes in your gut is by gardening. Exposing yourself to bugs in grass, in soil, in the air when you’re outdoors has a profoundly helpful effect.
What about other ways gardening can benefit your health?
A few years ago when I was presenting Trust Me, I’m a Doctor on BBC Two, we did an experiment where we planted birch trees in tubs outside houses on a busy road to see if they would reduce pollution. I thought, ‘This is never going to work’, but when we measured the microparticles inside the houses there was a significant reduction. I thought that was rather wonderful.
Can you suggest one thing every gardener could do to improve their health?
I think they should encourage their partner to take up gardening. It’s exercise, activity, socialising – it’s a gift you’re giving to someone you love. One of the secrets of happiness is spending time with people you like.
■ Listen to our podcast with Michael discussing gardening for a healthier gut at GardenersWorld.com/podcast