More Trees In Neighborhoods Can Improve Health

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Don’t underestimate the power of trees. University of Illinois researchers found that having lots of trees in your neighborhood could improve your health and lower your medical costs. Scientists looked at 13 years of data on five million people, and found, after accounting for other factors, that people with the fewest number of trees in their neighborhood had higher levels of health problems and $374 in medical costs per year compared to those with the highest number of trees in their areas. Study author Matthew Browning adds, “The mechanisms linking nature and health are very diverse, but the benefits are believed to be in part because being in green space can decrease stress, promote healthy behaviors and improve air quality.”