RCTHumann = 10 per group2012
Effects of short-term forest bathing on human health in a broad-leaved evergreen forest in Zhejiang Province, China.
Plain-language summary
This study set out to test whether spending a short time in a forest has measurable health benefits compared to staying in a city. Twenty healthy young men were split into two groups, one spending two nights in a broad-leaved evergreen forest and the other in an urban area. The forest group showed lower markers of stress, inflammation, and oxidative damage, along with better mood scores, than the city group. The researchers concluded that brief forest exposure may improve several health markers linked to stress and inflammation.
Key findings
- Forest stay lowered oxidative stress (malondialdehyde) compared to city stay.
- Forest stay reduced pro-inflammatory markers (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor a) compared to city stay.
- Forest stay lowered stress hormone (cortisol) and a blood-vessel constrictor (endothelin-1) compared to city stay.
- Forest stay improved mood scores (lower negative states, higher vigor) compared to city stay.
How to analyze the study yourself
- Study type
- Randomized trials assign people to groups by chance, so differences between groups are unlikely to come from who chose what, but small short-term studies may not reflect long-term effects or broader populations.
- Population
- Healthy young male university students in China.
- Funding
- Not reported
- Takeaway
- This study found that just two nights in a forest lowered stress hormones, inflammation, and oxidative stress while improving mood compared to staying in a city. If you are feeling stressed or run down, it may be worth spending time in a natural setting.