Seven ways gardening can help stave off dementia

Writer Liz Hoggard in her garden at home - Clara Molden

I gaze in wonder at my small crop of broad beans. As a self-confessed townie (I have a tiny container garden in Peckham, south-east London), I had no idea that the pods grow on tall, leggy vines. Normally I buy beans frozen from the supermarket.

But this year I’ve nurtured, fed and watered these babies from seed. And after harvesting, I’ll serve my beans with a dash of virgin olive oil.

The joy of gardening is that you get to see something grow and flourish (even if your life feels arid). “Gardening is very broad and holistic and provides benefit without people really noticing it,” says Ben Thomas, CEO of the gardening-for-health charity Thrive. “It also reduces social isolation, gives us a sense of purpose and connects us to the seasons.”

And the healing benefits are astonishing health professionals, too. Last week a groundbreaking study found gardeners may receive protections against dementia and lead longer lives.

The University of Edinburgh research, which tracked hundreds of people and their lifestyles over nearly a century, found that those who spent time gardening had better brain function in later life. On average, the 280 who frequently or sometimes gardened had better cognitive ability as pensioners than they did aged 11. But the 187 who had never gardened, or rarely did so, typically had a lower test score than when they were children.

Significantly, the link with gardening ­“persisted after adjusting for education, occupational social class, health factors, and importantly, overall physical activity”.

It seems homegrown food, exercise, creativity and planning sow seeds to better brain function.

“Gardening emerged as a focus in our research due to it being a key leisure activity in older people,” Dr Janie Corley, lead author of the study, tells me. “Gardening involves physical activity, cognitive engagement, social interaction and stress reduction, all of which are factors that have been shown to support healthy cognitive ageing. Moreover, gardening is accessible and enjoyable for many people.”

Spending time in nature promotes recovery from stress and helps restore the ability to focus attention - Matthew Taylor/Alamy

The Edinburgh study looked at cognitive decline versus healthy cognitive ageing, rather than dementia per se. But the link with gardening is very encouraging, says Dr Tim Beanland, Head of Knowledge at Alzheimer’s Society (and a keen gardener). And there are valuable lessons we can learn.

“The evidence suggests 40 per cent of dementia is preventable. We can’t stop ourselves getting older, but there’s a lot of dementia which is preventable by things we can control. How much we exercise, what we eat, whether we smoke or drink.” And it’s not all puritanical, he stresses. “You can age well and reduce your risk in ways that might be fun and enjoyable, like gardening.”

Here are seven reasons why gardening could help stave off dementia.

1. It promotes life-long learning

Whether you’re studying Latin plant names or looking up a new shrub on a plant finder app, gardening is mentally stimulating, and challenges the brain to do new things. “Engaging in ­gardening ­projects, learning about plants and general garden upkeep involves complex cognitive processes such as memory and executive function,” says Dr Corley.

“What’s interesting in terms of brain health is that there’s been a lot of focus on learning a second language, or playing a musical instrument, but I think many more people, particularly older people, find it easier to get into gardening,” says Dr Beanland.

Gardening promotes learning in later life which challenges the brain - Alamy

2. Pulling up weeds boosts brain health

Hand strength is an indicator of overall muscle mass, says Dr Beanland. “As we age, we tend to lose muscle mass. We call it inflammaging – this idea that our brain goes into a state of kind of chronic low-grade inflammation that contributes to cognitive decline and possibly dementia. So things like weeding, heavy digging, mowing the lawn, that’s muscle work. And it’s good for the brain.” When you build up muscles it dampens down inflammation, he explains. “If we keep that up it does offset some of the bad things that can naturally happen with the brain.” Plus, getting your hands dirty raises levels of serotonin, the happy chemical: there’s a microbe in soil that triggers the release of serotonin in our brain.

3. You bond with other people 

Staying connected to other people is beneficial for brain health, so community gardens and allotments are great places to socialise. “We already know that social isolation increases the risk of dementia by 27 per cent. Even small interventions that reduce social isolation could be meaningful,” says Ben Thomas.

Liz Hoggard with her garden designer and friend Geraldine Rudge - Clara Molden

Gardening also helps us build confidence and social skills. “You’re building up your cognitive reserve in your brain by building better connections and stronger synapses, and that tends to offset the symptoms of cognitive ageing or dementia. The disease is still there in the brain, but because you’ve built up this reserve, you can kind of hold it back like a dam,” says Dr Beanland (author of the puzzle book Mind Games, which aims to improve cognition and help stave off dementia). “Going along to the allotment, meeting like-minded people, having conversations: that social stimulation is building up the grey matter because you have to keep track of the conversation and think about what the other person is saying. As social primates our brains are big, because we’re social.”

4. Gardeners eat better

Nothing beats the taste of something that’s just come straight off the tree or out of the ground, which is important as our appetite can decline as we age. “Growing your own food often leads to a healthier diet, as other research has shown that gardeners tend to consume more fresh fruits and vegetables. A diet rich in these foods provides essential nutrients that support overall brain health and cognitive function,” says Dr Corley. “Diet is a good way of promoting brain health, particularly if you cut down on saturated fats and red meat and eat more fruit and veg, which will help keep weight down as well,” says Dr Beanland. “I advise people to get a mix of colours, if they’re growing fruit and veg. Tomatoes are great because they contain lycopene and antioxidants.”

Gardeners have access to healthier fresh food - Angela Nott/Alamy

5. It’s Pilates for the brain 

We know gardeners have a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, but aerobic exercise can also boost our brain health. “Picking fruit from the top of the tree is a bit like Pilates or yoga,” says Dr Beanland.

“Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, promotes the growth of new neurons, and enhances the connections between brain cells. These benefits help improve memory, executive function, and overall cognitive health,” says Dr Corley. “Gardening can improve mobility and dexterity, which in turn will enable someone to remain more active,” adds Thrive’s Ben Thomas. “The WHO says two hours of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity can improve thinking and memory.”

6. Deadheading roses reduces stress

Research indicates that stress (while not a cause of dementia) does play a role in the development/progression of the illness. But the good news is that spending time in nature promotes recovery from stress and helps restore the ability to focus attention. When the charity Mind commissioned a study asking people about their experiences of green activities, 94 per cent said it had benefited their mental health. Author Olivia Laing wrote her new gardening memoir, The Garden Against Time, during the pandemic, “when traumatic events were happening on both a personal and global level.”

She says: “Gardening is definitely a soothing activity, but it goes beyond that too. Like writing a book, it’s a process of creating a complex structure, as well as attending to the daily detail. I often find that when I’m working in the garden I churn through problems, rage over grievances, and then become immersed in the task at hand. I rarely come in feeling worse than when I started. Mostly, I’m as refreshed as a swimmer emerging from the sea.”

7. Gardening gives you goals

Sowing seeds into pots or beds can offer a sense of pride and achievement as the plants grow, blossom and bloom, says Dr Corley. “Gardening tasks require creativity, planning, and problem-solving. Completing these tasks successfully provides a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, which could potentially boost mood and provide motivation, further contributing to cognitive health.”

Recommended

20 hardy plants that can withstand any weather

Read more

Play The Telegraph’s brilliant range of Puzzles - and feel brighter every day. Train your brain and boost your mood with PlusWord, the Mini Crossword, the fearsome Killer Sudoku and even the classic Cryptic Crossword.