Gardeners have long known that working in the soil will make you feel better, happier and more content. But until recently, there was no scientific answer as to why it is so. Gardening as a healing therapy has been practiced since ancient times. Maybe this article can put you on your path to healing and happiness in a God-healing garden.
Depression, Anxiety, Aggression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Bipolar Disorder all have a common link: low serotonin level. Serotonin is a natural chemical produced by your brain. When you laugh, endorphins and serotonin are released. A very simple way of stating this is “happy feel good medicine” is released in your body which actually promotes healing. So, one method of natural cure is to find something to laugh at: a comedy, a comedian, a great humor book or someone you enjoy being with. The Bible puts it this way, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” That has a literal interpretation, scientists now know.
The Bible records that God planted the first 'Garden of Eden,' so gardens have always had a mysterious, spiritual quality to them. It further records: "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat (food)." (Genesis 1:29, KJV)
The most recently unveiled natural cure is, well, cheap as dirt! Recently researchers found that mycobacterium vaccae bacteria increased vitality and cognitive function in cancer patients, and lessened their pain. The theory is that the bacteria works by activating brain cells to release more serotonin. Guess where this bacteria can be found in great abundance? The answer is in dirt. Soil. That black stuff right under your feet!
This may be the scientific answer to why gardening lifts your spirits and promotes a a sense of calm and peacefulness. When you dig with your hands in the dirt, you are coming into contact with this non-harmful bacteria, among many others. Of course, it's also good exercise, you feel good about producing something worthwhile, and you're out in the fresh air and sunshine, so there may be a combination of factors at work.
Antidepressants work by regulating serotonin level and stopping re-uptake or absorption of serotonin the body produces. This bacteria appears to work by stimulating the body to naturally produce more serotonin – just as laughter stimulates production. Another plus for playing in the dirt is that past studies have suggested that exposure to bacteria in childhood builds protection against allergies and asthma.
So the next time you are feeling blue, perhaps all you need for your natural cure or therapy is to laugh out loud and go play in the dirt. Or better yet, plant a vegetable garden and you’ll have an excellent excuse to explain to neighbors why you are playing in the dirt. A vegetable garden yields further healing for your body and mind too in the vitamins, minerals and nutrients supplied from the fresh vegetables and herbs.
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Resources & Sources
“Identification of an immune-responsive mesolimbocortical serotonergic system: Potential role in regulation of emotional behavior.”
C.A. Lowry, J.H. Hollisa, A. de Vriesa, B. Pana, L.R. Brunetb, JRF Huntb, JFR Patonc, E. van Kampena, D.M. Knighta, A.K. Evansa, GAW Rookb and S. L. Lightmana.
Neuroscience available online 28 March 2007
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