1 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, welcome to another edition of Wisdom Wednesdays. Today's 2 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: episode is all about the benefits of spending time in 3 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 1: nature and specifically green spaces and waterways and looking at 4 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: the impact on your health and particularly your microbiome. So 5 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: over the past few decades, it's actually become pretty clear 6 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: that health isn't just about what happens inside our bodies. 7 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,560 Speaker 1: It's also about how we react and interact with the environment. 8 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: And it turns out that the microbes in the er soil, plants, 9 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: and water play a critical role in shaping the human microbiome, 10 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 1: which in turn influences many aspects of our health, from 11 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: our immunity to our mental well being. And this emerging 12 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: field of research sheds light on the importance of reconnecting 13 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:05,959 Speaker 1: with nature to improve our microbiome and ultimately our overall health. 14 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: And I knew a bit about this, but diving into 15 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:15,320 Speaker 1: it actually really emphasized the importance of these green spaces 16 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: and blue spaces as well. Actually, so first let's look 17 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: at green spaces, so parks, forest gardens, those sorts of things, 18 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 1: how they affect our microbiome. So one of the key 19 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: papers on this topic was a twenty twenty one article 20 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: called Colliding and Interacting Microbes and Microbial Communities Consequences, and 21 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: this study highlighted, or the paper highlighted, our urbanization and 22 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: the industrialization of our environment has led to a significant 23 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: reduction and exposure to diverse microorganisms. And the researchers discussed 24 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: how our ancestors lived in much closer contact with nature, 25 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:03,559 Speaker 1: interacting with the soul plants and animals that carry beneficial microbes, 26 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: and these microbes would have constantly reshaped and balanced our 27 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: immune systems, our gut health, and even our mental health. 28 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 1: But in modern cities and many of us spend times 29 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:20,799 Speaker 1: indoors in these hyper sanitized environments, and that's got worse 30 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: since COVID. And although people might think of this as 31 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: clean living, it's really a kind of a microbial desert. 32 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:34,799 Speaker 1: And our immune systems evolved to rely on regular exposure 33 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: to a wide array of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms 34 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:44,079 Speaker 1: to stay healthy. And then without these exposures, we see 35 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 1: an increase in immune related disorders like asthma, allergies, and 36 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 1: autoimmune diseases. Anybody noticed that they've all been on the rise. 37 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: Now this phenomenon is actually called immune disregulation and It's 38 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: well known, for instance, that kids who are raised in 39 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:06,920 Speaker 1: the countryside and especially on farms, have much more diverse 40 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: microbiomes and healthier immune systems than city kids. And this 41 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 1: study argues that urban habitat restoration, so restoring green spaces 42 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: in cities can actually help us to rewild the microbiome, 43 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: as does spending significant time in nature. And some of 44 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: you may be familiar with the concept of forest beathing 45 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: that is kicked off out of Japan, where people go 46 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: and spend significant amounts of time in the forest, and 47 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: it's supposed to have a pretty significant effect on their 48 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: physical and mental health, and now we might know why, 49 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: or at least a contributing factor. So this microbiome rewilding 50 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: hypothesis suggests that restoring this rich biodiversity in our environment 51 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: can restore the balance in our bodies, offering protection against 52 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: immune related diseases. But it's not just green spaces that 53 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: have a significant impact. We know also that waterways, things 54 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: such as lakes, rivers, and oceans introduce us to another 55 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: rich layer of microbial diversity. And I read an interesting 56 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: paper published in the Journal of the Science of the 57 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: Total Environment, and it was actually just this year it's 58 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: called the role of natural waterways in supporting human microbiomes, 59 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 1: and it actually stated that when we spend time around 60 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:39,480 Speaker 1: and in water, through swimming, fishing, or simply being close 61 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: to it, can have distinct benefits for human health. So 62 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 1: my morning walk along the beach with my dogs might 63 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: actually be doing quite a lot of beneficial things. This 64 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: paper highlights that the microbiomes of aquatic environments are vastly 65 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: different to those of land based environments, and the microorganisms 66 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 1: found in rivers, lakes, and oceans, such as cyanobacteria and 67 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 1: aquatic fungi, can actually colonize our skin and even influence 68 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 1: our gut microbiota when we spend time there. These interactions 69 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: can strengthen our microbiomes by introducing new species of microbes, 70 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: which diversify our internal ecosystems. And what has become really 71 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: really clear lately is that it's the diversity of our 72 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 1: microbiome that actually drives health, and when we have a 73 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 1: narrow microbiome, it is not good for us. And this 74 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: research also suggests that regular exposure to natural waterways can 75 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: even help regulate our moods, reduce stress, and even boost 76 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:54,479 Speaker 1: immune function. Through this unique microbial transfer, and it really 77 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: underscores the value of blue spaces as well as green 78 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: spaces for improving mental health. And it's being reported that 79 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 1: people who live near water, whether it's an ocean or 80 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: a river or a lake, often report lower levels of 81 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:13,720 Speaker 1: stress and mood disorders, as well as improved cognitive function. 82 00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 1: And this calming effect of water, sometimes known as the 83 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 1: blue mind, has been linked to lower cortisol levels and 84 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 1: reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. And it turns out 85 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 1: it might not just be looking at the water, but 86 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:32,720 Speaker 1: actually being around it and being exposed to the microbes 87 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: that come there. So let's not circle back to really 88 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:42,480 Speaker 1: this core problem that we face today, which is massive urbanization. 89 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: And the twenty eighteen paper called Urbanization and the Microbiome, 90 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 1: Causes and Consequences and goes into a deep dive about 91 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 1: how living in cities reduces our contacts with nature's microbiomes, 92 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 1: and it actually reviews this paper review decades of research 93 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 1: showing that the rise of modern cities with the concrete 94 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,159 Speaker 1: jungles and lack of green or blue spaces, has a 95 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: direct correlation with increased cases of chronic inflammatory diseases, allergies, 96 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: and even psychiatric conditions like anxiety and depression, and the 97 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: authors explain that we've essentially removed ourselves from the microbial 98 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 1: ecosystems that help regulate our health. And it's particularly eye 99 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: opening because it talks about the biodiversity hypothesis, which is 100 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 1: basically that our immune system, our a healthy immune system, 101 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:44,679 Speaker 1: is developed in this environment with lots of different microbial life, 102 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: and by cutting ourselves off from nature, we're losing those 103 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: critical inputs to our our that our immune system actually 104 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 1: needs to function optimally. And we know that your immune 105 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: system interfaces with the gut brain access as well, because 106 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 1: about eighty percent of your immune system resides in the gut, 107 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: and that's how it can affect our brain and our 108 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 1: mental health as well. And also, actually a little aside 109 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 1: on this, some people that we've all seen them, probably 110 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: make things a bucket load worse by constantly using disinfectant 111 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 1: wipes wherever they are. And you see those people here 112 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: constantly disinfecting the hands of their kids, and that really 113 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: is not good. Now. The authors of this study proposed 114 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 1: that restoring green spaces and increasing access to waterways could 115 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: reverse some of the damage caused by urbanization and by 116 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: reintroducing ourselves to these diverse microbial communities found in nature, 117 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:46,960 Speaker 1: we can help to recalibate our immune systems, improve our 118 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,599 Speaker 1: gut health, and even support mental resilience. And it was 119 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,320 Speaker 1: it was very popular in Britain one hundred years ago 120 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 1: when people were sick was they were sent out to 121 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: the country to recover. We know it was about getting 122 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:03,439 Speaker 1: away from the city and the cleaner hor but there 123 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:06,599 Speaker 1: could have been more to it on this. So to 124 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 1: build on this idea, there's a twenty seventeen paper called 125 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:16,319 Speaker 1: Urban Habitat Restoration and Microbuyoing Rewilding, and that talks about 126 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: how restoring the diversity in urban areas can help to 127 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 1: prevent disease. And they're essentially saying we need a plant, 128 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 1: lots more trees, plants and waterways. Well you don't plant waterways, 129 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, have these waterways to rewild 130 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 1: our microbombs. And they actually talked about a pretty fascinating 131 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:39,480 Speaker 1: case study where there was and they took this area 132 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 1: and restored a whole heap of degraded pasture into a 133 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: biodiverse green space where soil bacteria were reintroduced and then 134 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: microbial diversity flourished and they measured this and over time 135 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 1: this intervention improved the health of the soil, which then 136 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 1: had a positive effect on the health of the people 137 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: who were living nearby, and by increasing the microbial diversity 138 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 1: in the environment, the researchers actually saw improvements in immune 139 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:16,559 Speaker 1: function and reduction in cases of asthma, allergies, and even 140 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: certain skin conditions. So this is not just theory by 141 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: a bunch of hippies. This is actually proper science where 142 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 1: they've actually seen the changing of the environment actually impacting 143 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: on people's microbiomes and in turn on their health. So 144 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: let's chat briefly about mental health as well. There was 145 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: an interesting paper published in Nature Mental Health in twenty 146 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:46,320 Speaker 1: twenty three and explore the effects of both daytime and 147 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: nighttime natural light exposure on mood and psychiatric disorders, and 148 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: the researchers found that regular exposure to natural light and 149 00:10:55,679 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: then natural darkness, especially in green spaces, helps to regulate 150 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: circadian rhythms, which are really critical for mood stability. And 151 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:10,600 Speaker 1: the study also discussed how increased exposure to natural environments 152 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: can lower the risk of developing psychiatric conditions like anxiety 153 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: and depression, and it turns out that nature does more 154 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:22,200 Speaker 1: than just directly calm the mind by chilling your out. 155 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: It actually physically interacts with our bodies, introducing us to 156 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: this microbial environment that can enhance our mental well being 157 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:35,440 Speaker 1: and protecting against these mood disorders. And that builds on, 158 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:37,679 Speaker 1: as I said earlier, what we know about the gut 159 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: brain access, and that concept was discussed in the twenty 160 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 1: twenty one microbiome rewilding paper, and a balanced microbiome doesn't 161 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: just influence digestion and immune health, it also, through the 162 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:56,479 Speaker 1: gut brain access, plays a key role in mood regulation 163 00:11:56,679 --> 00:12:00,439 Speaker 1: and also in cognitive function. So when we're spar time 164 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 1: in nature, whether it's green spaces or blue spaces, we're 165 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 1: actually feeding our microbiome their diversity that it needs to 166 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 1: support both good digestive health and also good bringing and 167 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 1: mental health and reduce the risk of mood issues, including 168 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 1: depression and anxiety. So let's talk about what we can 169 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: do practically. So obviously the first thing would be spending 170 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:28,840 Speaker 1: time in green spaces, just making a habit to go 171 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: out and whether it's in the evening or on the weekend, 172 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 1: or if you can at lunchtime, just get out and 173 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: spend a bit of time in nature, because every little 174 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 1: bit counts. And then it's also engaging with waterways, whether 175 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:46,319 Speaker 1: it's a lake, walking along a river, or walking along 176 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:50,959 Speaker 1: the beats by the ocean, because that introduces, remember, another 177 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: source of microbes that are different. And then just things 178 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: like gardening. Digging your hands into the soil is a 179 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 1: simple but effective way to a boost your exposure to 180 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: these diverse microbiomes, and studies have actually shown that gardeners 181 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 1: tend to have much more diverse both skin and gut microbiomes, which, 182 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:16,360 Speaker 1: as I said, improves our immune health. And then it's 183 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: about mindful interaction, right, so when you're nature, it's not 184 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 1: just walking through it on your phone, it's actually engaging 185 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: with it. Touching the plants, touching the soil, the grass, 186 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 1: getting into the getting your feet into the water. They 187 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: all help to introduce these beneficial microbes into our body. 188 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 1: And I think the key thing, especially with our kids, 189 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 1: is to balance indoor in our door time. So if 190 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:45,480 Speaker 1: you spend a lot of time indoors, try to make 191 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 1: sure you get outside as regularly as possible and get 192 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 1: some fresher in, but ideally in those green and blue spaces. 193 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: So that's it for this week. Folks, catch you next time.