Nature as Ally in Our Chronic Disease Epidemic

Abstract

Our global community is facing a burgeoning and costly chronic disease epidemic. Apparent societal and behavioral drivers of this epidemic create an inflammatory milieu within the human body, a common pathophysiologic hallmark of a majority of chronic diseases. An epidemic of health care provider burnout is simultaneously occurring, and the limitations of our health care system are increasingly apparent. The restorative ways in which nature supports humans and their behaviors, as well as the way nature decreases systemic inflammation and supports the immune system, present an intriguing opportunity to develop models of care that allow for more exposure to and partnership with the natural world. This article articulates the urgent need for collective course change and the evidence base in support of nature as ally in healing work, and considers potential pathways forward.