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Study Finds Increased Time Spent In Green Spaces Is Linked To Lower Levels Of Prescription Drug Use

A study that has recently been published in BMJ Journals Occupational & Environmental Medicine has revealed that those who visit green spaces are less likely to use prescription drugs, for example, anti-anxiety medications or other mental health related medicine. The more frequent the visits to green spaces, the more the use of prescription drugs decreased. In addition, the study also found that there was also decreased usage of blood pressure and asthma medications with frequent visits to green space.

Image of child on her Mums shoulders smiling in a park.

The 'green spaces' in the study derived of parks, forests, gardens, natural grasslands and a host of other green and natural regions classed as 'green spaces'. There were also 'blue spaces', defined as areas such as lakes, rivers and seas, for example.

However, green spaces may not only just benefit mental health, with research showing that they can also positively impact the environment. For example, one study has found that rooftop gardens can reduce peak temperatures by as much as 11°C, as well as helping to reduce pollution.

Article Credit -
BMJ Journals