ReviewInternational journal of environmental research and public health2020
Forest Volatile Organic Compounds and Their Effects on Human Health: A State-of-the-Art Review.
Review in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 66 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
66 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 218 citations in OpenAlex.
- Benefits of forest therapy for adult mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis based on the Profile of Mood States (POMS).Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of Forest-Based Interventions on Mental Health: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Is altitude a determinant of the health benefits of nature exposure? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2022Pooled it
- Effect of Forest Therapy on Depression and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- The Psychological and Physical Effects of Forests on Human Health: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Smelling Wellness: Associations Between Botanic Garden Scentscapes and Human Health Gains.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Trial
- Forest terpenes and stress: Examining the associations of filtered vs. non-filtered air in a real-life natural environment.Environmental research · 2025Trial
- Effects of Urban Forest Therapy Program on Depression Patients.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Trial
- Cardiorespiratory Interaction and Autonomic Sleep Quality Improve during Sleep in Beds Made fromInternational journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Trial
- The forest as a health-promoting place-the meaning for seniors of playing padel in the forest: a qualitative study.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2026Article
- Graphene Nanosensor for the Detection of Small Organic Compounds Using an Insect Olfactory Receptor.Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) · 2026Article
- Molecular evolution of terpene synthase underlying the diversification of isoprene emission in Fagaceae.Plant biology (Stuttgart, Germany) · 2026Article
- Relations of residential greenness with immunity and inflammation.Environmental research · 2026Article
- Monitoring muscle oxygen saturation during forest trail hiking: a prospective open-label quasi-experimental study with facility-based allocation examining physiological and immunological responses in older adults.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Village Forest Experience Program Improves Cognitive Function and Reduces Salivary Cortisol and Oral Pathogens in Older Adults.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Nature prescription for patients with chronic respiratory diseases.The World Allergy Organization journal · 2026Review
- EAACI Guidelines on the Importance of Green Space in Urban Environments for Allergy and Asthma Prevention.Allergy · 2026Review
- Ecosystem structure influences human health outcomes as the basis for green prescriptions.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Forest therapy as an intervention for depressive disorders: a review of the mechanisms and applications.Frontiers in public health · 2026Review
- Physiological restorative benefits of different types of urban green spaces: a threshold model approach.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
6 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The aim of this research work is to analyze the chemistry and diversity of forest VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and to outline their evidence-based effects on health. This research work was designed as a narrative overview of the scientific literature. Inhaling forest VOCs like limonene and pinene can result in useful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on the airways, and the pharmacological activity of some terpenes absorbed through inhalation may be also beneficial to promote brain functions by decreasing mental fatigue, inducing relaxation, and improving cognitive performance and mood. The tree composition can markedly influence the concentration of specific VOCs in the forest air, which also exhibits cyclic diurnal variations. Moreover, beneficial psychological and physiological effects of visiting a forest cannot be solely attributed to VOC inhalation but are due to a global and integrated stimulation of the five senses, induced by all specific characteristics of the natural environment, with the visual component probably playing a fundamental role in the overall effect. Globally, these findings can have useful implications for individual wellbeing, public health, and landscape design. Further clinical and environmental studies are advised, since the majority of the existing evidence is derived from laboratory findings.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.