What's Up Docs? Is nature good for you?
Oct 7, 2025
Join Professor Kathy Willis, a biodiversity expert from Oxford University, as she reveals fascinating links between nature and our health. She discusses how natural environments lower stress and enhance our microbiome, and outlines the calming effects of plant scents. Kathy explains that even 20 minutes in green spaces can measurably reduce stress. The conversation also touches on inequalities in access to nature and the importance of bringing nature indoors. Prepare to rethink your time outdoors and its profound benefits!
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Toddler Calm Outside
- Xand says his toddler becomes calmer and tantrum-free when they spend hours outside.
- He contrasts that with chaos and illness when confined indoors.
Nature Alters Physiology Rapidly
- Nature triggers automatic physiological changes via the autonomic and endocrine systems that lower blood pressure and cortisol.
- Professor Kathy Willis says these changes can be clinically significant and comparable to some medicines.
Forest Scents Act Like Medicine
- Volatile plant compounds from forests can enter the bloodstream and affect biochemistry.
- Kathy Willis compares some of these molecules' effects to those of prescription drugs.
