5 Reasons Why We Need Green In Our Lives

It's the hue of the Emerald Isle, as well as a color linked with horrific monsters, disease, and envy. The most prevalent interpretation conjures up thoughts of nature, transforming it into a vibrant emblem of environmental activism and good living. Green is a hue that blends blue and yellow and comes in a wide range of shades. Out of all the hues in the spectrum, green is the one that the human eye sees the best.

This, coupled with a slew of other facts about this earthy hue, makes it a necessary part of our daily routine. But why is that?

1. Helping You See

Because of the way light reaches our eyes, we can easily see green; the human eye converts light waves into color. The color we see when we see a green frog is light reflected off the surface of the frog's skin, which our eyes perceive as green.

The cones in our eyes are able to analyze the wavelengths and notify the brain what hue is being noticed when we see these colors. Humans are trichromats, which means we can distinguish between three primary colors: blue, green, and red. The human retina can detect light with wavelengths ranging from 400 to 700 nanometers, which is known as the visible spectrum.

Each basic hue has a different wavelength, starting with blue (400 nanometers) and ending with red (800 nanometers) (700 nanometers). The hue green, which has a wavelength of 555 nanometers, is located in the middle of the spectrum. Our perception is at its best on this wavelength. Green light waves enhance and improve the perception of both blue and red light waves due to their position in the middle of the spectrum.

2. Being Aware of Your Surroundings

The globe is blanketed in green space. Our forefathers lived in forested areas with plenty of greenery before skyscrapers and suburbs appeared. The capacity to distinguish between colored berries against the backdrop of green vegetation was important for life as they scavenged for sustenance.

Our primate ancestors had an evolutionary advantage over other mammals because of the evolution of eyesight and the increased ability to see color with exquisite detail. Color changes in leaves, fruits, and vegetables can indicate maturity or age, as well as signal toxic or rottenness. We still employ this ancestral sense at the farmers market or the grocery store nowadays.

3. Sourcing Your Food

Bananas, while being popularly regarded as a yellow fruit, begin life as a green fruit due to the presence of chlorophyl. Fruits, like grass and foliage, have chlorophyll to give them color. Chlorophyl, which is found in plant cells, is essential for photosynthesis, which allows plants to capture energy from sunlight and turn it into energy that the plant can utilize to grow.

The molecule effectively absorbs blue and red light while reflecting the visible green light. Banana peels are vibrant green until the chlorophyll inside begins to break down. The chemical in the skin breaks down when the fruit ripens, resulting in a color change from green to bright yellow — and we like yellow bananas because they are sweeter.

The starch in the peel is turned to sugar when the chlorophyll in the banana breaks down, so more yellow means more sugar — until it starts to rot. Greener bananas are occasionally recommended as a remedy for upset stomachs due to their high starch content.

This color shift also occurs when looking along an aisle of vivid bell peppers. Our eyes assist us in determining the level of ripeness and sweetness that we prefer. Green peppers are less sweet because they contain more chlorophyll. The peppers become sweeter as they turn yellow and red. A brown piece of wilted lettuce or kale is almost always thrown when we're eating a salad. When the hue darkens, our eyes tell us the lawn is in need of some TLC. So, even if we no longer live in the woods, our great sense of green continues to play an important role in keeping us healthy.

4. Keeping You at Ease

Some scientists and experts feel that because our eyes' ability to perceive wavelengths related to the color green is at its greatest, the shade may help us relax.

When our nerve system is less strained when perceiving colors, we can relax when perceiving tone.

Green's sedative properties may explain why it's so common in hospitals, schools, and workplaces. After spending so much time looking into bright lights on stage, actors and actresses used to go to green rooms, however modern "green rooms" are rarely painted green.

5. Helping You Live Longer

Natural settings with plenty of greenery may aid in your longevity. Female participants in a 2016 study were shown to have a higher life expectancy and better mental health when they lived in or near green areas. Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital evaluated the risk of death with the amount of plant life and greenery surrounding 100,000 women's homes.

The results found that women who lived in the greenest areas had a 12 percent lower death rate than women who resided in the least green areas after the eight-year study was ended.

According to the study's authors, greater green space means more opportunities to socialize outside. Furthermore, the natural settings were found to be advantageous to mental health when compared to residential areas with few plants and greenery.

"We were surprised at the magnitude of the mental health pathway," said Peter James, study author and research associate at the Harvard Chan School's Department of Epidemiology.

Respiratory problems were the second leading cause of death among persons who did not live in greener areas. According to the study, improved life expectancy among people who lived in green areas could be due to a variety of factors, including less exposure to dirty air.

Our forefathers spent their entire lives outside. According to James, the advantages we stand to gain from adopting an outdoor attitude could have a good impact. "We know already that vegetation can help mitigate the effect of climate change. Our study suggests the potential co-benefit for health."

Source: CNN

About the Writers:

Maina Zaina, Writer and a Virtual Assistant at AVCreativity Studio. She enjoys media entertainment and is an avid fan of "K-Wave". She loves her job because she is exposed to different types of entertainment. She also believes in the saying "If you want to be successful, don't seek success - seek competence, empowerment; do nothing short of the best that you can do" by Jaggi Vasudev

Pamela Elizabeth, Editor-in-Chief at AVCreativity Studio. Earned a Bachelor’s Degree of Secondary Education Major in English. She loves going on little adventures alongside reading good books. She is enthusiastic about her work and ensures that her clients receive the finest service possible.