Neighborhood green space and natural environments populated with trees can greatly improve health.

According to research published in the journal Nature, there are cognitive and psychological benefits of natural scenery; but more than that, additional trees in a neighborhood can enhance overall health outcomes.

Also, evidence suggest that health benefits of exposure to greenery has stronger effects among some racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic groups, it has been suggested that green space could be "systematically deployed to mitigate health inequalities," in addition to improving health overall.

Green space has been linked to mental health benefits, such as recovery from mental fatigue, restoration and reduced stress, particularly through experimental work in environmental psychology. For years, reputable institutions examined the relationship between environmental green space and mental health outcomes in a study area that includes a spectrum of urban to rural environments. Harvard School of Public Health even explored the fundamental impact of green exercise, community gardening and the multifaceted benefits that natural environments provide for psychosomatic health.

Psychologist Omid Kardan of the University of Chicago led a team of researchers who were able to work with a vast dataset of 530,000 public, urban trees kept by the city of Toronto. Also, they examined the health records of 30,000 Toronto residents, who then reported on heart conditions, prevalence of cancer, diabetes, mental health and much more.

Conclusively, Kardan and his team found that public trees have the strongest effect on the generalized public, making a persuasive case for the introduction of trees into urban areas.

Ten Trees Per Block = Seven Years Younger

Ten street trees added per city block were related to a one percent increase in a person's health. Those same blocks suffered less from obesity and hypertension, compared to neighborhoods with fewer trees.

While a one percent spike in health might seem microscopic, the study revealed that it's equivalent to the impact wealth has on health.

According to the research, "you'd have to give every household in that city block $10,000 and have them move to a neighborhood that is $10,000 wealthier or make people seven years younger," to have the same general impact on health that greener neighborhoods created.

Environmental neuroscientist Marc Berman, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, believes that the health improvements offered by Toronto's trees can be replicated elsewhere.

The report doesn't distinctly identify why green space and trees trigger improvements in air quality and the promotion of physical activity, which are contributing factors to overall better health. However, there are apparent possibilities, including the fact trees are known to improve urban air quality by drawing particulates, ozone and other pollutants from the air and into their leaves, protecting city-dwellers from contaminants.