A large study of more than eight million people in seven countries around the world has shown that people in cities with green areas and leafy trees live longer than their counterparts in areas where there is no green space.
The study linked green areas to lower premature mortality rates, saying trees help cool and purify air, absorb greenhouse gases in cities and ward off the risk of death.
"More green spaces are better for health," said Mark Nyuanwesen, director of the Urban Planning, Environment and Health Initiative at the Barcelona Institute of Global Health. "People actually live longer if there is more green space around them."
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The study, published on Wednesday, was based on data from nine other studies involving more than eight million people in seven countries, including China and Canada, the researchers said, confirming it was the largest of its kind ever. Meters of homes of study participants.
The vegetation levels were arranged on a scale subject to a system known as the Natural Vegetation Difference Index, while the researchers followed the study participants for years, taking into account any premature deaths from health conditions such as heart disease or respiratory disease.
The study found that a 10 percent increase in green areas in several cities, such as Barcelona in Spain and Perth in Australia, helped reduce the average of premature deaths by 4 percent.
Vegetation is known to benefit mental health, reduce stress and pollution, and encourage physical activity. "What we need to do is increase green areas in many cities ... so that people can live a truly healthy life," Niwanewisen said.