Beneficial effects of the Outdoors on the Gut Microbiota.

Admiring a huge tree that is showing signs of Spring as the leaves are filling in, creating a warm and cozy ring of shade around the tree, I took a few minutes to marvel at its sheer beauty. I also hope that warmer weather is around the corner, bringing with it more opportunities to be outdoors.

This could possibly be one reason why people should ditch the hustle and bustle of the city, get closer to nature, and spend time in open green spaces. 

Studies show that people who make a change and get outdoors more can significantly have lower levels of salivary cortisol, a stress marker. They are also likely to have more opportunities to stay fit and are motivated to stick with an active lifestyle. All these factors come together, are advantageous to keeping the gut healthy, and lead to a healthy microbiome. Being outdoors and exposing oneself to a diverse variety of bacteria available to us in nature may also boost the immune system, thereby reducing inflammation. 

Time spent being out in nature exposes us to plants, trees, shrubs and the surrounding soil that consist of their own set of microbes which are unique to them. We are constantly interacting with these microbes, thus having a significant influence our human microbiome (the trillions of microorganisms that live in the body). Hence, exposure to environmental biodiversity via soil has been shown to have a beneficial influence on immune health.

Hope you get to spend some time in nature with the intention to raise your personal chi and feel nourished in mind, body and spirit.