EntericAlchemist
@tcmgutdoc
Real medicine is so much more than just pills and procedures. One of the best things you can do for your microbiome health, immune health, and mental health is to go for regular walks in the forest: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36328581/
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EntericAlchemist
@tcmgutdoc
In Japan this is called "forest bathing" or shinrin yoku 森林浴. It's been an official part of preventative healthcare there since the 1980s. It's more than just hiking: it's about deliberate sensory engagement with the forest environment. A mindful, multisensorial immersion in a living ecosystem.
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EntericAlchemist
@tcmgutdoc
And this accords with other research, such as this study, which found that children participating in a 10 week nature program had more beneficial, anti-inflammatory gut bacteria, and increased levels of serotonin in their digestive systems (the gut produces 90% of your serotonin) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78642-2
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EntericAlchemist
@tcmgutdoc
In other words, time with trees is one of the best ways to regulate your brain gut axis.
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EntericAlchemist
@tcmgutdoc
Dr. Qing Li, the world's top forest medicine researcher has found in this and numerous other studies that regular forest exposure increases the activity of natural killer cells. NK cells play an important role in destroying cancer cells, among other functions. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17903349/
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