Some studies have shown that exposure to forests has positive effects on human health, although the mechanisms underlying the health benefits of a forest environment have not been elucidated yet. The current study was aimed at examining how the levels of urinary hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and 8-hydroxy-2'deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) change after a forest or urban walk in healthy subjects. Twenty-eight volunteers (19 men and 9 women) participated in the study. The forest walks were carried out in a forest in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, and the urban walks (15 men and 7 women) were carried out in the downtown area of Okayama city, each for two hours. Spot urine samples were collected before the walk, the next day and one week after the forest or urban walk. Compared with pre-forest walk levels, urinary H₂O₂ (p < 0.1) and 8-OHdG (p < 0.1) concentrations significantly decreased in the participants the day after the forest walk; furthermore, urinary 8-OHdG remained at a low level even at one week after the forest walk (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant changes in the concentrations of these oxidative biomarkers after the urban walk. These findings suggest the possibility that exposure to forests may alleviate oxidative stress in the body.
Keywords: 8-OHdG; H2O2; forest walk; oxidative biomarker; urban walk.