Gardeners Have Lower Risk of Chronic, Mental Illness

In the first-ever randomized, controlled trial of community gardening, researchers found concrete evidence of gardening helping people to increase their intake of fiber and reduce their risk of mental illness.

“These findings provide concrete evidence that community gardening could play an important role in preventing cancer, chronic diseases, and mental health disorders,” said Jill Litt, senior author and environment professor at the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado–Boulder

Garderners who came into the study the most stressed and anxious saw the greatest improvements in their mental health.

“Even if you come to the garden looking to grow your food on your own in a quiet place, you start to look at your neighbor’s plot and share techniques and recipes, and over time relationships bloom,” Litt said.

“No matter where you go, people say there’s just something about gardening that makes them feel better.”