How does cutting down trees affect our health?
The benefits we get from trees are plenty; industrially, domestically and agriculturally. The statement that ‘trees affect our health’ is almost clichéd at the moment as we have been hearing it forever. With the current pandemic due to COVID-19 and people starting to become more conscious of their health, it’s best to bring back the original meaning of the statement.
First of all, it cannot be stressed enough how thankful we must be for trees. They let us live on this planet because animals, including humans would literally die if not for trees, as they recycle all the CO2 that is breathed out and provide O2 for inhalation, which is required for metabolic activities in most living organisms. However due to anthropogenic activities, humans ourselves have made it unbearable to breathe with freedom in certain parts of the world due to high emissions of carbon particulates and other toxic gases to the atmosphere.
According to studies, the toxic pollutants that exist in air, in cities as well as in villages, exceed the average annual values recommended by the WHO. So how does this affect us?
Our bodies have evolved in an atmosphere without carbon particles, smoke, and other particulates, so our bodies are unable to handle the stress of air pollution and hence would react abnormally to it making us sick. The importance of trees is that they are able to trap airborne pollutants and remove them from the atmosphere, helping to keep our lungs clean without imposing additional stress to our immune systems as well. Ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute lower respiratory infections in children are the main diseases observed due to air pollution. Furthermore, according to studies, certain cells responsible for immunity are affected due to pollutants that we breathe into our lungs. It can result in underactivity or overactivity of certain cells. What must be understood is that inadequate as well as excessive immune responses affect our immunity and lead to disease, and once the immune system is weakened, other pathogens can easily attack resulting in various other diseases of pathogenic origin, as well.
On a side note, it can be stated that the method to suppress pandemics as of the current situation, is by having cleaner air surrounding us. That is why it was strongly highlighted in the news and such articles that patients suffering from pulmonary diseases are at a higher risk of death after contracting the COVID-19 virus. So planting trees right now is actually a wise choice, akin to an investment for a better, healthier future.
Nowadays, or more specifically, before the pandemic, most of us were leading very busy lifestyles without time for self-care. However, another health standpoint is the mental well-being of a person. Studies show that trees actually decrease stress and improve recovery time from illnesses and also alleviate depression. Humans were not made to live in a concrete jungle with closed gates, as some might have realized recently. Even zookeepers have experienced situations where animals kept in zoos would not behave in a normal manner when confined within walls for long durations of time- either by getting angrier or by losing interest in life. Humans are animals too. Humans can also experience mood swings, depression and may even contemplate on suicidal thoughts if kept confined. That is the reason why a therapist might recommend a patient to go out into nature as trees enhance emotional well-being and de-stress the mind.
Hopefully, the statement relating health and trees no longer ring a broken bell. Furthermore, health must always be the number one priority in our lives since mental well-being and physical well-being go hand in hand and it is by being healthy that one can achieve their various and diverse goals in life and live well. A tree provides us with air to breathe, absorbs human-made pollutants, gives us healthy food to consume, and makes us feel good just by being near one. What more is required as a reason to protect trees or to plant trees cannot be fathomed. Hopefully we can one day realize that trees are worth more than all the gold in the world.
-Written by Rtr. Niromi Dabarera-
Image credits:
https://images.app.goo.gl/78YUvx3uwqvmTTRY8
References:
https://www.who.int/airpollution/news-and-events/how-air-pollution-is-destroying-our-health
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pollution-related_diseases
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32007522/
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