Effects of short-term forest bathing on human health in a broad-leaved evergreen forest in Zhejiang Province, China.
Biomed Environ Sci. 2012 Jun ;25(3):317-24. PMID: 22840583
Gen Xiang Mao
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.