Can gardening make you happier? The research says “yes”! Recent studies have found that gardening can increase life satisfaction, vigor, psychological well-being, and cognitive function. So, as we begin to prepare our spring vegetable gardens, let’s look at some of the ways gardens trigger our natural production of two important “happy” chemicals that boost our immune system and keep us smiling – serotonin and dopamine.
Sunlight and Dirt Increase Serotonin
Many studies have found that being in direct sunlight raises your serotonin levels. Serotonin is a “happy” chemical, and a natural anti-depressant that strengthens the immune system. So, enjoy the contact with the sun while gardening to give your brain a boost of happiness.
In addition, you may have recently heard about research indicating how good dirt is for us. We now know that contact with specific soil bacteria can also increase serotonin levels! Research has shown that mycobacterium vaccae triggers the release of serotonin in our brain. Great news for those of us who enjoy gardening with bare hands!
Harvesting your Crops helps Increase Dopamine
Research also indicates that there is a release of dopamine in the brain when we harvest crops from the garden. The researchers theorize that this response evolved over nearly 200,000 years of hunter gathering, and that there was a flush of dopamine released when food was found, triggering a state of bliss or mild euphoria. Luckily, we don’t have to hunt and gather today further than backyard gardens! And the dopamine release can be triggered by sight (seeing a vegetable growing) and smell, as well as by the action of actually harvesting the produce. This is especially apparent when discovering and plucking the first produce of the season.
Another interesting study showed that “emotional well-being” was higher for vegetable gardeners than for ornamental gardeners. This might be because of the relationship you build with your vegetable plants as you watch them grow and mature over the course of the planting season.
Organic Crops and Soil Work Best
Of course, to maximize the happy levels of serotonin and dopamine, there’s another prerequisite. Levels will be best with organic soil and crops that haven’t been contaminated with Roundup or Glyphosate-based herbicides. And we know that eating organic produce is always preferable.
A recent study in 2008 discovered that glyphosate, the active ingredient of Roundup, depletes serotonin and dopamine levels in mammals, and perpetuate in the environment, in soil, water, plants and in the cells and organs of animals.
So, enjoy the garden, fresh organic food and make sure you have fun playing in the dirt on a regular basis. And as always, feel free to Contact Us to learn more about having your own backyard organic vegetable garden – a lifelong source of happiness!
Resources:
https://mymodernmet.com/princeton-research-gardening-happiness/
https://permaculture.com.au/why-gardening-makes-you-happy-and-cures-depression/
Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis – ScienceDirect
The Sun and Your Mood: Why Sunlight Is So Good For You | Time.com