Could the secret to living 100 years be to deal with gardening?

 New York Times writer and National Geographic researcher Dan Buettner, who researches the world's longest living people, has worked in five places around the world where residents are renowned for their longevity: Okinawa in Japan, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Icaria in Greece, and California. in Loma Linda and the Island of Sardinia in Italy.

 People living in these areas known as the "Blue Zone" have common characteristics such as having social support networks, the habit of exercising every day, and having a plant-based diet. In addition, these people have another common feature that won't come to mind: to continue gardening even after the age of 80 or even 90.

 So, can gardening make us live to be 100 years old?

 Morale booster

 An outdoor lifestyle with moderate physical activity is known to be linked to longer life, and gardening comes across as an easy way to do both. “If you have a garden, you will engage in some low-intensity physical activity most days and have a tendency to work routine,” says Buettner.

 He says there is evidence that gardeners live longer and are less stressed, and that several studies have confirmed this, pointing to the benefits of gardening in both physical and mental health.

 In a recent study conducted in the Netherlands, researchers asked participants to complete a stressful task, then split them into two groups. While one group was reading indoors, the others gardened for 30 minutes outdoors. While the reading group reported that their mood was "getting worse," gardeners not only lowered their levels of the stress hormone cortisol, but also felt that they were "fully restored" for good mood.

 Australian researchers who track men and women in their 60s found that regular gardeners had a 36% lower risk of dementia than the non-horticultural group.

 Preliminary research among older people suffering from cognitive problems such as Alzheimer's and dementia reports the benefits of gardening and horticultural therapy. For example, sunlight and fresh air help older people feel calmer, while the colors and textures of various plants and vegetables help improve visual and tactile perception.

 There is no way to guarantee longevity, but science says that gardening improves the quality of life later in life.

 Let nature feed you

 The benefits of gardening are not limited to its direct health effects. The social benefits of dealing with the garden also contribute to a longer life. Conducting researches in Okinawa, which is the most densely populated region in the world (50 people per 100,000), Dr. Bradley Willcox has determined that the people living here have been mingled with their tiny gardens until later on: “People living in Okinawa think that anyone who wants to age healthily should have an ikigai (a reason to live). Gardening also gives you a reason to wake up early every morning. "

 On top of that, Okinawans place great emphasis on the concept of yuimaru (high level of social cohesion): “Getting together at a local market, bringing your produce and sharing your latest creations in your garden is a great social activity. It makes people feel on the ground and socially connected. "

 Man's individual connection with nature is as important as his social connections with people. A study from Harvard University shows that people who live in green areas live longer and are less likely to develop cancer or respiratory diseases.

 Doctors in Scotland can recommend a walk in nature to treat a variety of ailments, such as reducing blood pressure and anxiety and improving overall well-being. Gardening - even on a small piece of land in an urban area - is a simple way to add more nature to your everyday life.

 Doctors in Scotland now recommend hiking in nature to treat a variety of ailments, such as reducing blood pressure and anxiety and improving overall well-being. Gardening is a simple way to add more nature to your daily life, even if done on a small plot of land in an urban area.

 Finally, gardening has benefits in terms of health and nutrition. Researchers state that the Mediterranean diet, which consists mainly of vegetables, fruits, olive oil, whole grains and fish, enables people to live longer. In the case of Okinawa, most people consume plenty of vegetables such as the mighty pomegranate and sweet potatoes they grow in their own gardens.

 Willcox adds that when people consume ecological vegetable fruits they grow, they both get more vitamins and minerals and find these vegetables and fruits more delicious.