From reducing inflammation to boosting mood, gardening is an effective way to support cognitive health and prevent dementia. Photo / 123rf
From physical activity to social interaction, here are the main reasons why spending time in your garden supports better brain function
The joy of gardening is that you get to see something grow and flourish (even if your life feels arid). “Gardening is very broad and holistic and provides benefit without people really noticing it,” says Ben Thomas, CEO of the gardening-for-health charity Thrive. “It also reduces social isolation, gives us a sense of purpose and connects us to the seasons.”
And the healing benefits are astonishing health professionals, too. Last week a groundbreaking study found gardeners may receive protections against dementia and lead longer lives.
The University of Edinburgh research, which tracked hundreds of people and their lifestyles over nearly a century, found that those who spent time gardening had better brain function in later life. On average, the 280 who frequently or sometimes gardened had better cognitive ability as pensioners than they did aged 11. But the 187 who had never gardened, or rarely did so, typically had a lower test score than when they were children.
Significantly, the link with gardening ”persisted after adjusting for education, occupational social class, health factors, and importantly, overall physical activity”.
It seems homegrown food, exercise, creativity and planning sow seeds to better brain function.
“Gardening emerged as a focus in our research due to it being a key leisure activity in older people,” Dr Janie Corley, lead author of the study, tells me.
“Gardening involves physical activity, cognitive engagement, social interaction and stress reduction, all of which are factors that have been shown to support healthy cognitive ageing. Moreover, gardening is accessible and enjoyable for many people.”
The Edinburgh study looked at cognitive decline versus healthy cognitive ageing, rather than dementia per se. But the link with gardening is very encouraging, says Dr Tim Beanland, head of knowledge at Alzheimer’s Society (and a keen gardener). And there are valuable lessons we can learn.
“The evidence suggests 40 per cent of dementia is preventable. We can’t stop ourselves getting older, but there’s a lot of dementia which is preventable by things we can control. How much we exercise, what we eat, whether we smoke or drink.”
And it’s not all puritanical, he stresses.
“You can age well and reduce your risk in ways that might be fun and enjoyable, like gardening.”
Here are seven reasons why gardening could help stave off dementia.
Whether you’re studying Latin plant names or looking up a new shrub on a plant finder app, gardening is mentally stimulating, and challenges the brain to do new things. “Engaging in gardening projects, learning about plants and general garden upkeep involves complex cognitive processes such as memory and executive function,” says Corley.
“What’s interesting in terms of brain health is that there’s been a lot of focus on learning a second language, or playing a musical instrument, but I think many more people, particularly older people, find it easier to get into gardening,” says Beanland.
Hand strength is an indicator of overall muscle mass, says Beanland. “As we age, we tend to lose muscle mass. We call it inflammaging – this idea that our brain goes into a state of kind of chronic low-grade inflammation that contributes to cognitive decline and possibly dementia. So things like weeding, heavy digging, mowing the lawn, that’s muscle work. And it’s good for the brain.”
When you build up muscles it dampens down inflammation, he explains. “If we keep that up it does offset some of the bad things that can naturally happen with the brain.” Plus, getting your hands dirty raises levels of serotonin, the happy chemical: there’s a microbe in soil that triggers the release of serotonin in our brain.
Staying connected to other people is beneficial for brain health, so community gardens and allotments are great places to socialise. “We already know that social isolation increases the risk of dementia by 27 per cent. Even small interventions that reduce social isolation could be meaningful,” says Thomas.
Gardening also helps us build confidence and social skills. “You’re building up your cognitive reserve in your brain by building better connections and stronger synapses, and that tends to offset the symptoms of cognitive ageing or dementia. The disease is still there in the brain, but because you’ve built up this reserve, you can kind of hold it back like a dam,” says Beanland (author of the puzzle book Mind Games, which aims to improve cognition and help stave off dementia).
“Going along to the allotment, meeting like-minded people, having conversations: that social stimulation is building up the grey matter because you have to keep track of the conversation and think about what the other person is saying. As social primates our brains are big, because we’re social.”
Nothing beats the taste of something that’s just come straight off the tree or out of the ground, which is important as our appetite can decline as we age. “Growing your own food often leads to a healthier diet, as other research has shown that gardeners tend to consume more fresh fruits and vegetables. A diet rich in these foods provides essential nutrients that support overall brain health and cognitive function,” says Corley.
“Diet is a good way of promoting brain health, particularly if you cut down on saturated fats and red meat and eat more fruit and veg, which will help keep weight down as well,” says Beanland. “I advise people to get a mix of colours, if they’re growing fruit and veg. Tomatoes are great because they contain lycopene and antioxidants.”
We know gardeners have a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, but aerobic exercise can also boost our brain health.
“Picking fruit from the top of the tree is a bit like Pilates or yoga,” says Beanland.
“Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, promotes the growth of new neurons, and enhances the connections between brain cells. These benefits help improve memory, executive function, and overall cognitive health,” says Corley.
“Gardening can improve mobility and dexterity, which in turn will enable someone to remain more active,” adds Thomas. “The WHO says two hours of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity can improve thinking and memory.”
Research indicates that stress (while not a cause of dementia) does play a role in the development/progression of the illness. But the good news is that spending time in nature promotes recovery from stress and helps restore the ability to focus attention. When the charity Mind commissioned a study asking people about their experiences of green activities, 94 per cent said it had benefited their mental health. Author Olivia Laing wrote her new gardening memoir, The Garden Against Time, during the pandemic, “when traumatic events were happening on both a personal and global level”.
She says: “Gardening is definitely a soothing activity, but it goes beyond that too. Like writing a book, it’s a process of creating a complex structure, as well as attending to the daily detail. I often find that when I’m working in the garden I churn through problems, rage over grievances, and then become immersed in the task at hand. I rarely come in feeling worse than when I started. Mostly, I’m as refreshed as a swimmer emerging from the sea.”
Sowing seeds into pots or beds can offer a sense of pride and achievement as the plants grow, blossom and bloom, says Corley.
“Gardening tasks require creativity, planning, and problem-solving. Completing these tasks successfully provides a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, which could potentially boost mood and provide motivation, further contributing to cognitive health.”
If you need a break from the slopes or don’t fancy a ski, there’s still a lot to do this.