We all are aware of the fact that natural resources serve as the raw materials for a sustainable life, but their impact is far beyond basic survival. From the water we drink to the air we use for breathing, and the sunlight we get to the minerals we need, everything revolves around the natural world. However, it is crucial to see the effects of natural resources on human health and well-being.
According to Active Sustainability, natural resources are depleting very rapidly as twenty percent (20%) of the whole population of the world consumes eighty percent (80%) of the natural resources available. Looking at its highest consumption rate, understanding the connection between natural resources and human health becomes the need of the hour.
In this article, we will share seven unexpected ways natural resources shape human health and the environment. But before that let’s define human health.
What is Human Health?
According to the Natural Institute of Health (NIH), WHO states human health as “it is not just the absence of sickness or disability but rather a condition of complete bodily, mental, and social well-being”. It is the condition when you feel good and healthy inside and out. Define human health.
The following are some of the factors that affect human health:
- Physical Health: It involves the proper working of your body that you can maintain through diet, activity, and medical treatments.
- Mental Health: It involves emotional and psychological well-being that influences people’s handling of stress, decision-making, and social interaction.
- Social Health: The capacity to create and preserve good relationships, therefore supporting general life satisfaction.
- Environmental Health: It involves looking for the effects of natural resources on human health just as green areas, clean water, and air quality.
How Does Natural Resources Affect Human Health? 7 Unexpected Ways
Everyone is curious about the impact of natural resources on human life and the measures needed to conserve them for long-term use. As a student, you must explore such topics in detail and add some facts to justify your arguments. However, students normally struggle in doing such tasks so they prefer to seekhelp froma first classessay writing services. Experts at these platforms help streamline the writing process, guiding students in crafting well-researched and compelling essays.
The following are the 7 unexpectedly shocking ways on how does natural resources affect human health.
1. Clean Air and Respiratory Health
Lungs play a crucial role in human health. You can improve the health of your lungs by providing fresh air which can be achieved by natural resources such as soil, forests, and oceans. These components are essential for removing pollutants and preserving a safe environment.
You can save yourself from respiratory diseases such as lung infections, asthma, and bronchitis by consuming clean air. The serious health issues in urban areas are raised more than in rural areas due to less natural resources.
This is how clean air improves human health:
- One of the biggest sources of natural air cleaners is forests as it helps release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide.
- Another source of cleaning the natural air is oceans because they absorb the gases of green greenhouse and also generate oxygen through marine plants.
- Air quality can also be improved by soil and vegetation, which lower dust particles and toxins.
2. Fresh Water and Disease Prevention
It is the most essential resource for human health as many people take it for drinking purposes, so they search for clean and safe water. While searching for the effects of natural resources on human health, natural water supplies are important factors affecting public health. The bad water affects human health in different ways it can be the cause of different deadly diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. You can avoid many diseases like waterborne by maintaining clean water sources.
This is how fresh improves human health and saves you from various diseases:
- Water bodies are a major source of hydration which is necessary for digestion, circulation, and temperature control.
- Wetlands serve as organic water filters because they can eliminate the pollutants from the drinking water supplies.
- Full of minerals water provides vital elements like calcium and magnesium to support functions in the body.
3. Sunlight and Mental Health
One of the important natural resources is sunlight because it plays a crucial role in both physical and mental health. In general natural light exposure is essential for controlling mood, sleep cycles, and mental health. According to the Mental Health Foundation, your connection with nature directly influences your mental well-being as spending more time in a natural environment helps you reduce stress, and anxiety, and improves overall health.
In addition, one of the main effects of bad sunshine is the cause of seasonal affective disorder a kind of depression that occurs due to limited exposure to sunshine. This is how sunlight improves human health:
- Vitamin D that we get from sunlight conversion is the best for our bone health and also boosts immunity.
- Natural light can effectively regulate the circadian cycles to reduce your fatigue give you comfort and also improve the quality of sleep.
- The levels of serotonin rise with sun exposure, improving your mood and lowering the risk of depression.
4. Soil and Nutritional Health
More than just sand, soil serves as a basis for both agricultural and food production. So the crop content and human health are directly affected by the quality of soil. It offers improved food quality and overall health by maintaining the health of the soil. Nutrient-deficient soil can be the cause of the depletion of infected soil which can also raise the risk of starvation and diseases related to food.
This is how soil takes part in the improvement of nutritional health:
- The essential nutrients and vitamins for human health, are produced from healthy soil.
- Healthy soil which is enriched with microorganisms can enhance your gut health, and improve digestion, and immunity.
- Organic farming on healthy soil can reduce the risk of chemical and pesticide-related diseases because it excludes these elements in farming.
5. Forests and Stress Reduction
If you want to feel relaxed and lower your stress you should spend your time in nature and the forest is the best platform for providing natural scenery to encourage relaxation. Nowadays scientists also prove that spending quality time in the forests will benefit you to build your physical and psychological health advantages.
Moreover, the availability of green areas is crucial for mental health. Among the natural ways to calmly deal with stress, forest therapy is a good option and has been associated with better overall health like less anxiety, and lower blood pressure. This is how forests can reduce your stress level:
- The substances like phytoncides are substances found in forest air that strengthen your immune system.
- Green environments can reduce stress and anxiety because they lower the cortisol level.
- Nature walks enhance mental capacity by improving concentration and memory.
6. Minerals and Disease Prevention
You can find the natural minerals in clean water, soil, and stones to significantly improve your health. Among the effects of natural resources on human health, these components are important for different body functions like metabolism and strength of the bone.
Additionally, the mineral is essential in our lifestyle because a lack of vital minerals is often a cause of health problems including malfunctioning immune system, muscular abnormalities, and weak bones. You should consume a balanced diet from natural resources to maintain your health long time. The following are some ways minerals can help in various disease prevention:
- By consuming minerals and calcium you can maintain your bones and teeth healthy because calcium helps to avoid osteoporosis.
- Regular consumption of iron can be useful in maintaining blood oxygen levels as it prevents anemia.
- Magnesium helps muscles work better, which reduces fatigue and stiffness.
7. Biodiversity and Disease Resistance
You may enhance your health by a diverse natural ecosystem as it controls illness and maintains the balance of the environment. NCBI research shows that biodiversity helps in the management and cure of various diseases.
Furthermore, the loss of biodiversity raises the risk of disease, as shown by new threats to world health. You can prevent future pandemics by protecting the natural ecosystems because it is very essential for preventing overall health security. This is how biodiversity helps in the resistance of diseases:
- The pests that can cause diseases are managed by a bio diverse ecosystem, which lowers the rates of diseases such as Lyme and malaria.
- Many new medicines and vaccinations are made from natural plants which have medical properties.
- The balance of wildlife lowers the danger of infectious illnesses by preventing the spread of viruses.
Conclusion
No doubt, natural resources are much more than simply raw materials; they play an important role in shaping human health. Such resources include air, minerals, forests, water, soil, and more. Here, we have covered 7 unexpected ways nature and its resources can influence human well-being. It will not only help you understand the effects of natural resources on human health but also make you learn the importance of their preservation for environmental sustainability.
Students who get such diverse topics to work on often struggle to write their essays effectively. To save yourself from this trouble, you can consult UK-based essay writing firms as their experts help you in everything from research to writing and editing to make your essays winning and impactful.
By going through this detailed guide, you will be able to understand the need to preserve these resources to ensure better human health. So, take a step towards protecting nature and move toward a healthier world.
Author Bio
Charlene Barnhill, an experienced essay writer, is passionate about research-based projects and environmental sustainability. She assists students in writing insightful essays while highlighting the vital connection between nature and human well-being. In her free time, Barnhill enjoys exploring nature, reading about conservation efforts, and volunteering for environmental causes.
