Urban Biodiversity to Reduce Chronic Disease

Replanting urban environments with native flora could be a cost-effective way to improve public health, as it would help to "give life back" to the environmental and human microbiota, according to researchers at the University of New York. ;Adelaide.

In a new article, published in Frontiers in Microbiology, the researchers say that humans – considered "holobionts", a symbiosis between host and microorganisms that depend on the health of the ecosystem and biodiversity to achieve optimal health outcomes – and more specifically populations Urban areas urgently need a more natural habitat to combat the rate of chronic disease.

In order to curb the progression of noncommunicable diseases around the world, such as asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and allergies related to less diverse human microbiomes, researchers suggest that restoring biodiversity Microbial fertilization by backfilling may help to address chronic health problems.

Lead author, Jacob Mills, of the Environment Institute of the University of Adelaide, said the evidence shows that humans need healthy, natural and rich environments in microbes to grow properly as healthy holobionts.

"We are more than humans, cell for cell, we are 57% microbiological ecosystems We live in ecosystems Our symbiotic microbial partners, or our" Old friends ", come from our mother and" Are young. These microorganisms play a vital role in our health, especially in the formation and regulation of our immune system, "he said.

"It is believed that one of the causes of the rapid increase in noncommunicable diseases in urban populations is a decrease in biodiversity, including microbial diversity, human ;urbanization.

"With regard to current urban designs, people are little exposed to their" long-time friends "and that's partly for that reason that we have reduced our health due to a training and an inappropriate regulation of the immune system.Most microbes are actually beneficial or neutral, rarely cause disease. "

The researchers suggest that restoring native plant communities in urban areas could have beneficial effects on the health of generations and generate huge savings for the health sector. According to them, if urban catering could reduce health costs by 5%, the European Union could save between 230 and 280 euros. million a year on the only inflammatory disease of the intestine.

"The restoration of plant communities provides habitat for animals and changes soil, water and air conditions, all of which have an impact on the environmental microbiota, generating a more natural microbial community", said Mr. Mills.

"The restoration of biodiversity could be an inexpensive health care intervention with the potential for huge savings for the health sectors that could be spent to meet other needs. related, such as reducing urban heat islands, pollution capture and species conservation – making it a no regrets intervention. "

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More information:
Jacob G. Mills et al. Linking Urban Biodiversity to Human Health with the concept 'Holobiont & # 39; Frontiers in Microbiology (2019). DOI: 10.3389 / fmicb.2019.00550 Jacob G. Mills et al. Linking Urban Biodiversity to Human Health with the concept 'Holobiont & # 39; Frontiers in Microbiology (2019). DOI: 10.3389 / fmicb.2019.00550