Study demonstrates lower immunosenescence in forest environments for aged mice, suggesting urban forests can promote healthy aging.
With the global aging population on the rise, identifying environmental factors that modulate immunosenescence is critical for health interventions. While urban green spaces are known to confer health benefits, the long-term effects of forest exposure on immunosenescence remain unclear. This study investigated the differential impacts of urban forest versus urban environments on immunosenescence using a D-galactose-induced murine model. Mice were assigned to urban or forest environments for 8 weeks, with serum cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ), T-cell subsets, and organ indices analyzed. Forest environments exhibited significantly higher humidity and negative air ion concentrations alongside lower noise levels compared to urban settings. Aged forest-exposed mice showed attenuated immunosenescence markers, including significantly lower IL-6 levels (p < 0.01) and improved thymic indices, suggesting urban forest environments may mitigate immune decline. These findings highlight the potential of urban forests in promoting healthy aging, advocating for their integration into urban planning. Further human studies are warranted to translate these findings into public health strategies.
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Li et al. (2025) studied this question.
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