Ever felt inexplicably happy after gardening or walking barefoot on grass? It’s not just nostalgia, soil microbes like Mycobacterium vaccae stimulate serotonin production in the brain.
This “outdoor antidepressant” could be nature’s own mood stabilizer.
Urban lifestyles have made us microbially lonely. Maybe mental health clinics need gardens, not just therapy rooms.
Could mental health begin by reconnecting not just with people, but with the planet’s microbes?
MBH/AB
Absolutely! there is growing evidence that reconnecting with nature, even through soil microbes like Mycobacterium Vaccae, can lift mood and reduce stress. These interactions activate pathways linked to serotonin and emotional regulation, offering a natural antidepressant effect. Integrating gardens, green spaces, and sensory nature experiences into mental health care could restore balance, enhance resilience, and support holistic wellbeing. Sometimes healing begins not only in conversation, but in quiet contact with the earth itself.
Definitely, mental health can be benefitted from natural resources as well, along with people (near and dear ones). Soil aroma, sound of water and air, sky gazing and many such things help in calming the mind and keeping the mental health in peaceful and balanced state.
Absolutely fascinating! It’s incredible how tiny soil microbes can influence our mood and mental health. Maybe the future of mental wellness isn’t just therapy or medication, but also more time outdoors, barefoot, and in touch with nature.
True… Nature’s microbes truly offer a powerful, natural boost to our mental well-being that urban life often takes away.
The smell of humus exerts a physiological effect on humans. Breathing in the scent of Mother Earth stimulates the release of the hormone oxytocin, the same chemical that promotes bonding between mother and child” .
Grounding ourselves in nature, whether it’s walking barefoot, touching soil, or simply breathing fresh air reconnects us to the earth’s natural rhythm. It’s amazing how something as simple as feeling the ground beneath our feet can calm the mind and lift the spirit.
Awesome information regarding mycobacterium vaccae and serotonin secretion.