But many people are intuitively drawn to this idea. They feel restored and healthier in a beautiful landscape, for example. And on the other side, many environmentalists work to preserve nature for a range of very good environmental reasons, but forget that one of the major benefits may be human health. Frumkin points to a mass of evidence that such is indeed the case. He argues persuasively for closer attention in preventive medicine of the role of the habitat-seeking instinct by encouraging the union of environmental psychology with medical research.
Evidence links animals with human health.
Dr. Frumkin points to research that concludes pet owners have fewer health problems than non-pet owners. Examples include lower blood pressure, improved survival after heart attacks and enhanced ability to cope with life stresses. Contact with plants, from gardening to looking at trees, could also contribute to healing physical and mental ailments, Dr. Frumkin asserts. For example, office employees report that simply having plants in the workplace makes them feel calmer. But they needed water to survive and attract prey, and groups of trees for protection.