The power of the color green, today we talk about this. Sometimes we don't think about it, but natural remedies are often so simple and close to us that we find it hard to believe. In fact, observing the green leaves has been shown to bring calm, serenity and relaxation to people who lead stressful lives, while exposure to green light has allowed to reduce migraines in most of the volunteers involved in the experiment. These results were reported on two very recent scientific studies, the first published in the journal Cephalalgia by an American team from the University of Arizona (Martin et al, Cephalalgia, 2020), the second in the journal Heliyon by a Japanese and Egyptian team (Kexiu et al. al, Heliyon, 2021).
Green light against migraines
In the first research, scientists studied the effects of green light on migraines. Migraine is considered the most widespread disorder in the world affecting more than a billion people. However, the prescribed drug therapy often gives side effects or does not work satisfactorily. That is why researchers are continually studying complementary treatments, possibly natural and without side effects or interactions. In the study we are talking about, the action of green light was evaluated. Green light, indeed, had already shown on animals analgesic properties. 30 people were then recruited, all with a diagnosis of chronic or episodic migraine. For ten weeks, the study participants were exposed to white light for one hour a day. Then, a two-week break followed and finally the volunteers were exposed to green light for ten weeks for one hour a day. The green light was emitted by LED bulbs. At the end of the experiment, the volunteers were asked to indicate their state of health and the frequency of migraine episodes. What emerged was that the green light was able to reduce the pain of migraine attacks by 60%. Not only that, exposure to this type of light has made it possible to reduce the duration of headaches and the frequency with which migraines appear in a month, reduced by 50%. But the green light did not only bring benefits with regard to migraines, the volunteers also observed improvements in the quality of life, noting a reduction in the time required to fall asleep and an increase in attention and cognitive functions during day.
The color of the leaves induces relaxation, calm and serenity
In the second research, scientists recruited 40 university students, therefore people subjected to an active and stressful life. Volunteers were asked to observe different colored leaves for two minutes each. During the experiment, eye movements were continuously measured, which indicate the degree of attention and which are directly related to relaxation, and oxyglobulin, which is hemoglobin that carries oxygen. This last value indicates how the brain reacts to the stimulus, by allowing to differentiate between the different areas. In particular, a reduction in oxygen globulin in the prefrontal cortex indicates relaxation and serenity. What emerged was that the light green color, the color with which most of the leaves appear, was the most effective in inducing calm and a feeling of relaxation. So, next time you feel stressed, go out into the garden or on the balcony and take a look at the plants around you! There are a natural stress reliever.
