You may have heard the expression knowledge is power.

Well, today we're going to give you more power to control your diet and lifestyle by giving

you the facts.

Welcome to the Nutrition Facts Podcast.

I'm your host, Dr. Michael Greger.

It's time for the Nutrition Facts Grab Bag where we look at the latest science on a

whole variety of topics.

In our first story, we ask, can the aroma of wood essential oils replicate the immune boosting

effects of walking in a forest?

Studies on the effects of forest bathing, a traditional practice in Japan of visiting

a forest and breathing its air, have found it can induce significant increases in the

number and activity of natural killer cells that can last for as long as a month.

Because natural killer cells are one of the ways your body fights cancer by killing

off tumor cells, the finding suggests that forest visits may have a preventive effect on

cancer generation and progression.

Okay, but how?

I mean, why did the forest environment increase natural killer cell activity?

What is it about the forest environment?

One thought is that the boost may be related to reduction in stress.

I mean, if you mentioned the amount of adrenaline flowing through people's systems, I mean,

is it hanging out in a forest but not a city, drop adrenaline levels down?

Yes.

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