Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health How Gardening Grows a Healthier Brain - AI Podcast
May 3, 2025
A fascinating study reveals that older gardeners excel in memory and thinking skills compared to non-gardeners, highlighting gardening's role as a mental workout. The sensory joys of gardening—touching soil, smelling plants, and enjoying colors—stimulate the brain while lowering stress and improving mood. Anyone can start a garden, even with simple herbs, benefiting cognitive health and building resilience against decline. Plus, connecting through community gardens enhances social bonds, further boosting overall well-being and reducing dementia risk.
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Gardening Builds Cognitive Reserve
- Gardening activates multiple brain regions, offering a cognitive workout beyond physical exercise alone.
- It stimulates memory, planning, problem-solving, and decision-making simultaneously, building cognitive reserve.
Gardening Stimulates Brain and Senses
- Gardening engages memory, logic, and spatial awareness in a dynamic, problem-solving way.
- Sensory stimulation from soil, plants, and colors sharpens focus and mood.
Gardening Reduces Stress, Protects Brain
- Gardening reduces stress by lowering cortisol and supports emotional balance through nature exposure.
- Building cognitive reserve from gardening protects against age-related cognitive decline.