Living near green spaces slows down cell aging by 2.5 years

It is known that parks and green spaces contribute to reducing heat in cities and promoting biodiversity, but they also help slow the aging of cells, as a study published Wednesday in the journal “Science Advances” confirmed that people who live near green spaces are, on average, two years younger. And half a year from the others biologically.

“Living near more green spaces helps a person look younger than their actual age,” said study author Keizo Kim, who led the study, adding, “We believe that our findings have important implications for urban planning in terms of By expanding green infrastructure, promoting public health and reducing health disparities.

A link was originally found between being near green spaces and improving cardiovascular health and lower mortality rates.

The researchers considered that the physical activity and social interactions associated with visiting the parks played a role in reaching this result, but the idea that the parks themselves contribute to slowing the aging of cells was not clear before.

The team responsible for the study, which was published on Wednesday, dealt with chemical modifications of DNA, or what is known as “methylation”.

Previous studies have shown that “epigenetic clocks” based on DNA methylation can predict health problems that a person may be exposed to, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and cognitive impairment, and represent a more accurate way to measure age than calculating calendar years.

Benefits vary

Keizo Kim and her colleagues followed more than 900 people living in four US cities (Birmingham, Chicago, Minneapolis and Oakland) over a 20-year period between 1986 and 2006.

Using satellite imagery, the team measured the distance between the study participants’ residences and parks, and then studied blood samples taken from the subjects 15 years after the study began and then at its 20th year, to determine their biological age.

The researchers developed scientific models to evaluate the results, taking into account the variables that may have affected them, such as education, income, and smoking.

They observed that people whose homes were surrounded by 30 percent green space within five kilometers were, on average, 2.5 years younger biologically than those whose homes were surrounded by 20 percent green space.

The benefits reported were not the same for all. Blacks living near green spaces were only a year younger than their actual age, while whites were three years younger.

“Other factors such as stress, the quality of surrounding green spaces, and social factors influence the magnitude of the benefits of green spaces in terms of biological age,” Keizo Kim said, adding that these differences should be the subject of additional research. For example, parks in slums that are used for illegal activities may be less frequented and therefore less beneficial.

Kim noted that future research could address the link between green spaces and certain health effects, adding that the way in which green spaces reduce aging is not yet clear. She said scientists are only aware that there is an effect.

Epidemiologist Manuel Franco of Alcala and Johns Hopkins Universities said the study was “well executed”.

“We now have more scientific evidence of better quality, with the aim of increasing and promoting the use of green spaces in cities,” added Franco, who was not involved in the study.