AFTER CANCER TREATMENT, many survivors take extra steps to stay active and eat well, but maintaining these habits can be challenging. Research published June 20, 2024, in JAMA Network Open found tending a home vegetable garden can help motivate cancer survivors to stick with positive behaviors.
The study enrolled 381 cancer survivors age 50 and older in Alabama who were not meeting health guideline recommendations to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day and get at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week. Half the group participated in the Harvest for Health program, in which master gardeners provide gardening supplies and guidance to cancer survivors as they grow vegetable gardens in raised beds or containers from spring through fall. The remainder of the group did not initially receive gardening supplies or guidance.
After one year, gardening program participants showed more improvement in physical performance and perceived health than those not in the program. Additionally, their vegetable and fruit consumption increased over the course of the intervention.
You don’t need a large plot of land to reap the benefits of gardening, says Candace Russo, who coordinates the Hope Grows Here program. If you’re tight on space, she recommends growing herbs or salad greens in a small windowsill pot or seeking vegetable varieties developed for patio or balcony containers.
“Gardening is a gateway activity to better health,” says Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, an American Cancer Society clinical research professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the study’s principal investigator. “Once you get people outside in fresh air, they become more physically active.” She adds that growing and picking produce inspires people to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Gardening has mental health benefits too, says Candace Russo, program manager with the Moore Family Center at Oregon State University in Corvallis. She coordinates Hope Grows Here, a six-month community gardening and nutrition education program based on Harvest for Health. Russo notes participants report positive effects on mental well-being, such as improved mood and reduced stress and anxiety, simply from being outside in nature.
The Cooperative Extension System can let you know which plants grow best in your area.
Where you live can dictate which plants are easiest to grow in your garden, so it’s important to find gardening advice specific to your area. The Cooperative Extension System, a nationwide educational network that operates through land-grant public universities, provides localized education and learning tools for farmers and home gardeners of all levels. To find your local branch, visit extension.org.
In a follow-up study of 100 survivors who participated in Harvest for Health, researchers found over 85% continued their home gardens for at least one year after completing the program, and nearly half expanded their gardens. “Cancer survivors see gardening as an opportunity to help grow and nurture something in their life,” Demark-Wahnefried says. “It can be a valuable addition to cancer survivorship care.”
