Effects of Short-Term Forest Bathing on Human Health in a Broad-Leaved Evergreen Forest in Zhejiang Province,China

作     者：MAO Gen Xiang LAN Xiao Guang CAO Yong Bao CHEN Zhuo Mei HE Zhi Huat LV Yuan Dong WANG Ya Zhen HU Xi Lian WANG Guo Fu YAN Jing 

作者机构：Zhejiang Hospital & Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Geriatrics Hangzhou 310013 Zhejiang China ForestryDepartment of Zhejiang Province Hangzhou 310020 Zhejiang China Zhejiang Forestry Academy Hangzhou310023 Zhejiang China. 

出 版 物：《Biomedical and Environmental Sciences》 (生物医学与环境科学（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2012年第25卷第3期

页      面：317-324页

核心收录：

学科分类：083002[工学-环境工程] 0830[工学-环境科学与工程（可授工学、理学、农学学位）] 07[理学] 08[工学] 09[农学] 0903[农学-农业资源与环境] 0713[理学-生态学] 

基　　金：supported by the project "Modern forestry-exploitation and utilization of therapeutic forest" commissioned by the Forestry Department of Zhejiang Province funds from the Ministry of Health of P.R.China (WKJ2011-2-014) the Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Province Program (2008C33046) Zhejiang Provincial key disciplinary fields of Geriatrics Program (2007ZB006 and 2008ZJ004) 

主　　题：Forest bathing Oxidative stress Inflammation Endothelin-1 Cortisol level 

摘      要：Objective To investigate the effects of short-term forest bathing on human health. Methods Twenty healthy male university students participated as subjects and were randomly divided into two groups of 10. One group was sent on a two-night trip to a broad-leaved evergreen forest, and the other was sent to a city area. Serum cytokine levels reflecting inflammatory and stress response, indicators reflecting oxidative stress, the distribution of leukocyte subsets, and plasma endothelin-1 （ET-1） concentrations were measured before and after the experiment to evaluate the positive health effects of forest environments. A profile of mood states （POMS） evaluation was used to assess changes in mood states. Results No significant differences in the baseline values of the indicators were observed between the two groups before the experiment. Subjects exposed to the forest environment showed reduced oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory level, as evidenced by decreased malondialdehyde, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor a levels compared with the urban group. Serum cortisol levels were also lower than in the urban group. Notably, the concentration of plasma ET-1 was much lower in subjects exposed to the forest environment. The POMS evaluation showed that after exposure to the forest environment, subjects had lower scores in the negative subscales, and the score for vigor was increased. Conclusion Forest bathing is beneficial to human health, perhaps through preventive effects related to several pathological factors.