Secrets of the soil

The health benefits of gardening

Published in March/April 2014 Organic NZ Magazine

Kyra Xavia dishes the dirt on why its so healthy for us to get our hands in the soil.
While it is common knowledge that gardening is good for health, providing exercise and
fresh air, as well as optimal nutrition from home-grown produce - what isnt so well
known are some other important benefits being unearthed by science. Kyra Xavia
investigates.
A natural high
It turns out that gardening also makes us happy (especially when we get our hands dirty),
as this activity in particular, triggers the release of serotonin in the brain: a
neurotransmitter responsible for a sense of wellbeing. (Inadequate levels of serotonin are
associated with aggression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, fibromyalgia, irritable
bowel syndrome, learning difficulties, obsessive-compulsive disorder and poor memory
consolidation).
So what is it precisely about handling earth that causes these pleasant, mood-boosting,
effects?
Well, its the microbes present in soil.

The anti-depressant effects of certain soil-bourne microbes were first observed when one
strain called Mycobacterium vaccae, was given to cancer patients in the hope of
increasing survival. Although the aim of the trial was not achieved, patients did
experience improved quality of life, which resulted in further studies. Subsequent
research revealed that this particular microbe acted indirectly upon the brain, resulting in
the release of serotonin into the prefrontal cortex, an area that regulates mood. 1,2
Researchers believe that people can gain similar benefits when exposed to
Mycobacterium vaccae in the environment, by eating produce grown in soil, inhalation,
or through broken skin, which could happen when playing outdoors or tending a garden.
Microorganisms support the immune system
But gardening does much more than generate a natural high. Serotonin also happens to
strengthen and regulate the immune system, which is absolutely vital for health. And this
is where it gets rather interesting.
It appears that the microbes we are exposed to in our environment (as well as those that
inhabit our body) play a far more important role in human health than we ever suspected.
(Check out the Human Microbiome Project).
The human microbiome (the community of microorganisms that co-exist with us, in and
on our body), out numbers human cells 10 to 1, and these microorganisms support our
immune system. In fact, exposure to them at critical phases of human development is so
important to health that researchers have developed a theory called the old friends
hypothesis.
It suggests that many micro and macroorganisms (organisms associated with soil, faeces,
and animals, and microbiota) have been entrusted with inducing an appropriate level of
background immunoregulation. 3,4,5
An overly sanitised life may contribute to illness
Removal of these organisms from the urban environment, along with modern living and
an overly sanitised life-style (see side bar), especially during infancy when the immune
system is still developing, appear to cause immunoregulatory defects, which have been
linked to the development of autoimmune and inflammatory illnesses including asthma,
allergies, type 1 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as mental disorders such as
autism and depression. 3,4,5
According to science writer Moises Velaquez-Manoff, the earlier exposure to these
organisms begins, the greater the protection. Those children born to mothers who work
with livestock while pregnant, and who carry their newborns during chores, seem the
most invulnerable to allergic disease later. He states, What happens to your mother
during the nine months before your birth may influence your susceptibility to many
diseases decades later, from heart disease, obesity to schizophrenia.

Cell memories of microbes

Were only starting to truly comprehend just how much our health depends upon
microbes, and we have much to learn regarding their role in immunity and how immunity
in the human body actually works. For example, studies released in 2013, revealed that
CD4 cells present in blood and lymph of the human body, which kick-start an immune
response to pathogens, have memories of microbes they've never encountered before,
something that challenges accepted dogma about immunity function. This pre-existing
immune memory could stem from constant exposure to mostly harmless, ubiquitous
micro organisms in soil and food - and may even give us an evolutionary clue about why
children eat dirt. 6
Keep it natural and organic
Since a diverse community of microbial life is crucial to health, whether it be the human
body, or other ecosystems such as soil or water, we need to really question our use of
those agents that damage and harm these precious microbiomes. (This includes the heavy
application of herbicides, pesticides and antibiotics).
Appreciation and respect of the micro organisms that we coexist with certainly gives
added meaning to the tenet healthy soil, healthy food, healthy people.
Keep in mind too, that regular exposure to natural environments promotes wellness and is
scientifically shown to prevent a medically recognised condition called Nature
Deficiency Disorder, linked to depression, lowered immunity, childhood obesity and
disease states in adults. 7,8
Gardening is quite simply one of the best preventative measures you can take to
safeguard your physical and mental health, and so is picking produce and eating it
straight from the plant. Be sure to spread the word - as well as a little dirt - its good for
us.
Too Clean?
An overly sanitised environment and modern life-style contributes to a reduction in microbial exposure
and may also imbalance the human microbiome. Here are some things you can do to stay healthy.
If living in an urban area, spend time in your garden or a community garden.
- Avoid using antibacterial household cleaners, washing detergents, cleaning cloths, baby-wipes,
mouthwash, toothpaste, handwash, soap, etc. (Research proves that washing with plain soap and water
is just as effective against pathogens, and does not destroy friendly bacteria or harm the environment
the way antibacterial agents do).
- Avoid exposure to nano-silver antibacterial coatings on electronic devices such as cell phones,
computer and laptops screens and keyboards, and other household appliances, such as on the inside of
washing machines.
- Avoid wearing nano-silver treated (antibacterial / deodorising) clothing.
- Take antibiotics only when really necessary (they destroy friendly flora in the digestive system, the
most important immune organ of the body).
- Eat fresh, organic, whole foods avoid a highly processed diet.

References
1 - M.E.R. OBrien. SRL172 (killed Mycobacterium vaccae) in addition to standard
chemotherapy improves quality of life without affecting survival, in patients with
advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: phase III results. Oxford Journals Medicine. Annals
of Oncology. Vol 15, Issue 6. pp. 906-914
2 - C.A. Lowry et al. Identification of an immune-responsive mesolimbocortical
serotonergic system: Potential role in regulation of emotional behavior. Neuroscience.
2007 May 11; 146(2-5): 756772.
3 - G.A. Rook. 2010. 99th Dahlem conference on infection, inflammation and chronic
inflammatory disorders: darwinian medicine and the hygiene or old friends
hypothesis. Clin Exp Immunol 160, pp 70-79.
4 - C.L. Raison, et al. 2010. Inflammation, sanitation and consternation: loss of contact
with co-evolved, tolerogenic micro-organisms and the pathophysiology and treatment of
major depression. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 67:1211-1224.
5 - T. W. McDade et al. 2010. Early origins of inflammation: microbial exposures in
infancy predict lower levels of C-reactive protein in adulthood. Proc. R. Soc. B. Vol 277:
pp 1129-1137.
6 - L.F. Su1 et al. Virus-Specific CD4+ Memory-Phenotype T Cells Are Abundant in
Unexposed Adults. Immunity. Vol 38, Issue 2, 21 February 2013, pp 373383.
7 - E. Dickinson. 2013. The Misdiagnosis: Rethinking Nature-deficit Disorder
Environmental Communication. Journal of Nature and Culture. Vol 7, Issue 3. pp 315335.
8 - F. E. Ming Kuo. 2013. Nature-deficit disorder: evidence, dosage, and treatment.
Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events. Vol 5, Issue 2, pp 172-186.
Further reading
An Epidemic of Absence A New Way of Understanding Allergies and Autoimmune
Diseases by Moises Velasquez-Manoff
www.moisesvm.com
Richard Louv. 2011. The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of NatureDeficit Disorder.
Richard. Louv. 2005. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit
Disorder.
More on the internet
www.earthmicrobiome.org
www.humanfoodproject.com
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXWurAmtf78 - Bonnie Bassler TED Talks lecture about
bacteria and how they communicate.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRmLu1lbupE - Interview with Moises Velasquez-Manoff.