Mechanism of the Huangguoshu waterfall forest environment’s promotive effect on human health in Guizhou, China, 2022, Zhu et al

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the specific mechanisms underlying the human health-promoting effects of the forest environment at Huangguoshu Falls, Guizhou, China.

Methods: Ninety-five participants were recruited and an eye tracker was used to record fixation and sweep indices. A questionnaire was also used to evaluate the effects of different subject environments on human emotions, perceived recovery and preferences. Thereafter, 24 participants with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) were recruited and the participants’ fatigue and stress-related scale indices and inflammatory factor levels were examined. Serum metabolites of the participants under different time waterfall forest interventions were detected by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS).

Results: Eye tracking paradigm analysis showed that the “waterfall” element was the most interesting element for participants and that the “charm” of the waterfall forest environment could be well perceived by participants. Scores on the Fatigue Scale, Anxiety Scale and Depression Scale decreased as the duration of treatment in the waterfall forest environment increased. Levels of inflammatory factors decreased after treatment in the waterfall forest environment. At the same time the level of antioxidants, represented by L-ascorbic acid, increased significantly.

Conclusions: The charm of the Huangguoshu waterfall scenery could be perceived by the participants and have a positive modulating effect on mood and cognitive function. In addition, the unique mixture of negative oxygen ions in this environment can increase the content of endogenous antioxidants and balance the metabolism of choline and amino acids.

Open access, https://atm.amegroups.com/article/view/100114/html

 

Recruitment of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

Patients with CFS diagnosed in the psychology and psychiatric outpatient departments of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University and Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital from January 2010 to January 2019 were recruited. All patients met the 2003 CFS criteria of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Among the 32 patients with CFS aged 20 to 55 years, a total of 24 participants who met the inclusion criteria and voluntarily agreed to participate in this study were finally selected. Chronic fatigue is the intermediate state between physiological fatigue and pathological fatigue. Therefore, the determination of chronic fatigue not only needs to exclude physiological fatigue (the characteristics of easy recovery after rest; i.e., short-term fatigue), but also needs to exclude organic diseases, mental diseases (such as depression), and other related diseases. With the help of professional psychologists, the perception ability and psychological changes of participants were evaluated before enrollment. The inclusion criteria referred to the diagnostic criteria of CFS formulated by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1994. The specific inclusion, exclusion, and withdrawal criteria are shown in Appendix 2.

 

Huh all I need is a water feature in my back garden and I'll be cured?!

 

Nope, you'd be lacking the "unique mixture of negative oxygen ions in this environment". That's an excellent excuse for why this technique--which is so amazingly effective (wild guess, since i haven't read it) in their study--doesn't work for anyone out of the study.

I just spent an hour or more around a small waterfall (beaver dam), and didn't notice any benefits. Obviously the negative oxygen ions weren't quite right.

 

Should have taken a diesel powered generator and a few negative ion generators with you