The importance of exposure to nature for well-being

Spending time in nature and green environments has many positive effects on our health. We know that in the forest, heart rate and stress levels drop and the mind calms down. Science has also shown that our bodies need regular exposure to rich biodiversity, for example to allow our defence system to develop and function properly.

Cherish the connection with nature

Modern life and urbanisation affect our possibilities for a regular connection with nature. The absence of natural environments, and especially the lack of physical contact with nature’s rich biodiversity, brings about new immune system-related problems.

Busy life and urbanisation affect our opportunities to get in regular contact with nature. In winter, nature's microbes are also covered under snow and ice, and sometimes it's not possible to go out into nature for various reasons. In this case, exposure to nature can be increased by, for example, using underwear and accessories from our Metsä collection, which contain the innovative Re-Connecting Nature™ forest extract. Its diverse, safe, and beneficial natural microbes can help to support and stimulate the immune system through skin contact.

Immunty is built at an early age

Our immune defences develop until at least the age of eight, and nurturing our connection with nature strengthens our health throughout life. Our bodies are constantly sensing stimuli from the environment and adjusting its actions according to the information received.

To ensure that the body's immune system develops correctly and learns to distinguish between harmful and harmless substances, sufficient exposure to microbes found in nature is necessary. Researches have shown that the more microbial agents children are exposed to early in life, the less likely they are to develop allergies and autoimmune diseases.

Information on nature health (In Finnish)

Diverse microbial exposure supports the development of immunity

Autoimmune diseases, such as allergies, asthma and type 1 diabetes, are among the world’s fastest-growing types of illnessess, and it is often proposed that sterile Western lifestyle estranged from nature can be one of the main causes.

A study by the Natural Resources Institute Finland, the University of Helsinki and the University of Tampere shows that the immune regulation of kindergarten-age children improved in as little as two weeks after playing in a sandbox enriched with a variety of natural microbes.