Although the peak gardening season is coming to an end, the following few gardening benefits will encourage you to start planting vegetables in the spring. Gardening not only makes your garden look beautiful and provides fresh vegetables, it also strengthens your immune system and sharpens your brain.
Gardening will make you (and your kids) love vegetables
Did you also feed the dog with peas under the table as a child? Does the thought of Brussels sprouts make your stomach hurt? People often outgrow their childhood dislike of vegetables, while others prefer to avoid vegetables even in adulthood. Growing vegetables and gardening can change these feelings and at the same time ensure that your children enjoy the fruits of the garden. A 2017 study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that children who were introduced to gardening ate more fruits and vegetables.
Photo: Unsplash/Annie SprattWeight control
Do you also suffer from fat pads on your stomach or are you fighting a battle with excess weight? Gardening has been proven to lower your body mass index. Don't believe it? A study published in the American Journal of Public Health demonstrated that gardeners have a significantly lower body mass index, but also lower chances of being overweight or obese.
It feeds your spirit
Some joke that it's a "gardener's glow", while others point out in all seriousness that working with plants seriously relieves the effects of stress and provides positive sensory stimulation. The American NASA took care of the evidence. Scientists responsible for sending humans into space have discovered that gardening can keep astronauts healthy and happy. They realized that planting and tending seeds, even just in small pots, provided a mood lift and stress relief. If it helps astronauts, why shouldn't it help you?
Photo: Unsplash/Sandie ClarkeIt reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases
Although gardening isn't high-intensity exercise, tending to your garden is beneficial for your heart health. Gardening can thus reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke and extend life by 30 percent, according to the results of a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
It strengthens your immune system
Dirt under the nails can be a sign of poor hygiene, but also a sign of good health. At least when it comes to gardening. A study published in the journal Immunotargets and Therapy proved that gardening can improve your immune system thanks to the beneficial bacteria found in the soil.
