It May Not Be Second Nature

 

Though nature is not part of most people’s everyday life, it’s physical benefits of  exercise, the suns rays, and plants natural chemicals should not be underestimated. According to a map on obesity rates throughout the country, Colorado, and other western states, have the lowest obesity rates while Mississippi and the flat midwestern states have the highest. This is because of the geographical arrangement of mountains, which allows for Colorado and other states in the Rocky Mountain Range to have access to more hikes and places to do other outdoor activities.

The sun is also a big part of nature that keeps you healthy. According to an Washington Post article by By Rob Stein, 9% of kids aged 1 thru 21 have vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is most commonly obtained by sunlight hitting your skin but, as less and less people have exposure to sunlight, the government has added it to things like milk, and making vitamin D chews to compensate. Vitamin D is vital to your health as it reinforces bones, by allowing more intake of calcium, and helps keep your cholesterol and blood pressure at constant levels. Having low Vitamin D means you are doubling your risk for a heart attack compared to a person with higher amounts of vitamin D.

Another reason you should go outside into the wilderness is because scientists say a type of airborne chemicals, called phytoncides benefit humans. These chemicals are secreted by plants to protect themselves from rotting and insects. ln a study conducted by the Department of Hygiene and Public Health in Nippon Medical School, Tokyo. They had 12 people walk in a natural area and a city each for 3 days and 2 nights and tested them at the end of the 2nd day. In the study, the nature trip was shown to increase natural killer cells (a type of white blood cell), Granulysin (a substance used to kill infectious cells), and anti-cancer proteins. This means that going out into the wilderness and being close to plants will decrease your chance of infections and viruses. Nature benefits your health a lot  in many physical ways.