Forest bathing boosts immunity naturally
Inhaling tree-derived phytoncides during forest bathing sessions increases human natural killer cell activity by fifty percent, providing a measurable and lasting boost to the body's innate anti-tumor immune response.
Inhaling the organic compounds released by trees during forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, directly stimulates the production of human natural killer (NK) cells. These specialized white blood cells provide rapid responses to virally infected cells and tumor formation. Research led by Dr. Qing Li of the Nippon Medical School found that a three-day trip to a forest increased NK cell activity by approximately 50 percent.
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