Trees already do a lot for us, but just in case you weren’t satisfied by the fact that they already produce a lot of the oxygen you breathe, this news might help.
It turns out trees can not only make you feel better, they can also make you healthier.
In a paper published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature on Thursday, researchers investigated the relationship between the amount of trees in city blocks in Toronto between self reported health perception, as well as the prevalence of cardio-metabolic conditions.
The researchers found that having more than 10 trees in a city block improves health perception significantly.
How significantly?
Well, it turns out that if you take the average city block in Toronto and add 10 trees that’s about the equivalent of giving everyone on that block $10,000 more a year, or making them about 7 years younger.
That’s right, trees can literally make you feel like you’re young again. Take that Ponce de León.
In addition to the effect on health perception, the study also found that having 11 more trees in a city block than average, decreased cardio-metabolic conditions by the same amount as a $20,000 in income, or a 1.4 year age difference.
So basically, trees are the reason you’re alive, they’re keeping you alive longer, and they’re the reason you feel so good.
Let’s just hope this research can plant a seed in the mind of some city planners.
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