ByJUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH

JULY 25, 2026 08:39

Nineteenth-century American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson once observed that nature reflects inner emotions. British actress Audrey Hepburn, a dedicated gardener throughout her life, noted that planting a garden shows faith in the future.

Both observations proved accurate.

Expectant mothers residing in areas with abundant vegetation tend to exhibit reduced long-term stress, based on fresh findings from a team at Bar-Ilan University Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in Safed.

Partners from Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Helen Schneider Hospital for Women at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva, and Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven, Germany, joined the effort.

Vegetation around homes tied to lower production of cortisol and cortisone in the brain

Greater contact with plants near residences during pregnancy corresponded to decreased amounts of cortisol and cortisone, key hormones linked to stress that influence health for both parent and child.

The work appeared in Environmental Epidemiology with the heading Satellite and ground-level residential greenness and hair steroid hormones during pregnancy.

Hormones from hair samples capture stress patterns over months, unlike those from blood, saliva, or urine that show only brief periods.

Analysis of hair from many pregnant women allowed evaluation of ongoing stress in the second trimester. Elevated amounts then raise chances of issues affecting mother or baby health.

Women in greener settings during that trimester showed markedly reduced cortisol and cortisone in hair strands.

Outcomes held steady across multiple greenery assessments and varying distances from homes. Sohini Bhattacharya, a fourth-year medical doctoral candidate from a leafy area near Calcutta, India, stated that home surroundings with plants connect to lower ongoing stress hormones in pregnancy.

This matters since extended high stress hormones can harm the mother and growing fetus.

The project extends prior work by the group that noted ties between home greenery and reduced hair cortisol in the first trimester.

The latest effort broadens scope by including extra hormones, later pregnancy phases, and finer greenery details.

Hair samples came from 385 women at Helen Schneider Hospital with no prior pregnancy issues, all from the Petah Tikva region, then processed with modern lab methods.

With typical hair growth of one centimeter monthly, sections for the second trimester were trimmed, weighed, cleaned, wrapped in foil, and stored in envelopes for testing.

Greenery exposure was gauged via satellite data and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, plus a fresh approach using Google Street View photos.

Both approaches yielded identical results: greener home areas linked to lower chronic stress hormones.

Bhattacharya noted that prior studies used only satellite views for an overhead perspective, while street-level images allowed real-time identification of plant types.

Street analysis uncovered a surprise: higher grass coverage near homes tied to notably lower cortisol and cortisone than in areas with less grass.

These hormones regulate metabolism, immunity, sleep, and pregnancy support, yet sustained high levels prove damaging.

Earlier work suggested nature exposure eases stress but often used self-reports or short-term markers. Few tracked long-term stress via hair or focused on pregnant women.

Greater grass presence means lower stress hormones in women

Bhattacharya mentioned interest in various health factors for pregnant women and the appeal of greenness.

She found the benefit of grass visibility and proximity unexpected.

More grass meant lower stress hormones and better sleep, creating overall wellness gains.

Both hormones were measured because pregnancy naturally raises cortisol to aid fetal development.

The body shifts much active cortisol to inactive cortisone to shield the baby from excess. Overexposure risks harm.

Cortisol in maternal blood converts to cortisone, forming a vital barrier for the fetus.

This conversion keeps cortisol from reaching the baby in excess amounts.

Hair analysis of a three-centimeter strand reveals chronic hormone patterns over time, unlike brief snapshots from other fluids.

Women in low-greenery zones should walk daily in parks or view grass, or add balcony plants, with doctor advice.

The study did not determine exact time needed in green areas.

Bhattacharya suggested city planners add affordable green spaces to boost health and cut stress.

Results arrive amid rising stress in Israel from conflict, climate shifts, and urban growth.

Lead researcher Prof. Keren Agay-Shay from Bar-Ilan noted the data back preservation and growth of residential greenery.

With global urban expansion, adding trees and plants offers an easy way to enhance public health.

Findings stress including natural settings in health plans, especially for at-risk groups, Agay-Shay added.