Mystery solved: Scientists have discovered why we like to touch grass with our hands.

The desire to touch things exists in humans from a very early age: We use touch to learn. So is there a deeper meaning to our response to the feels, looks, sounds and smells of nature? Popular Science writes that researchers are trying to find the answer to this question.

Just a few years ago the idea of ​​allowing animals into hospital wards, nursing homes and children’s vaccination clinics seemed unthinkable. But animals are now housed in nursing home programs or hospitals, where they interact with patients. Studies have also shown that close interaction with dogs actually reduces stress levels and increases positive emotions in humans.

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What about inanimate nature: Can humans benefit from touching leaves, bark, wood or grass? Scientists already know that gardening is associated with many positive health benefits for young and old.

Horticultural therapy is now an established health intervention for people with mental illnesses such as depression and memory loss, especially older people. Research also shows that this therapy is effective in reducing some chronic symptoms in people with schizophrenia, as well as reducing stress and agitation in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism.

According to Katie Willis, professor of biodiversity at the University of Oxford, in one experiment, recipients sat in a clinical setting with their eyes closed and were asked to touch various materials:

• the leaf of a living pothos plant;
• artificial pothos leaf made of resin;
• a piece of soft cloth;
• metal plate

During the experiment, scientists also scanned the recipients’ brains using infrared spectroscopy, trying to detect changes in cerebral blood flow and therefore central nervous system activity. The results show that touching live plant leaves results in a significant calming response compared to other materials. Note that the experiment was small, with only 14 people participating.

According to Professor Willis, every human being has millions of receptors that respond to a variety of tactile stimuli distributed across our skin. However, the density of these receptors is much higher in some parts of our body, such as our face and hands. This explains why these areas are much more sensitive to external physical stimuli, including touch.

Experts also note that there are several different types of receptors in our skin that are stimulated by mechanical touch, temperature and chemicals. Our skin, muscles, joints, and many of our internal organs also contain pain receptors that are activated by activities that have the potential to damage tissue.

When we touch something, these receptors are activated and produce signals that are sent via sensory nerves to neurons in the spinal cord and the thalamus region of the brain. Neurons in the thalamus area then transmit signals to other parts of the brain, and these signals cause many different reactions. In simple terms, this response is actually a physical response to stimuli delivered by the biology of touch.

Previously Focus He wrote that scientists have explained why manicured lawns are dangerous.