Effects of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) on levels of cortisol as a stress biomarker: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Systematic review and meta-analysis asking whether shinrin-yoku lowers salivary cortisol versus control conditions across eligible experimental studies—useful biomarker-focused complement to BP and HRV-oriented reviews.

Why it matters

Many forest-bathing trials use salivary cortisol as an acute stress proxy; this paper pools eligible studies rather than relying on single-lab narratives.

Interpretation

Read the full text for pooled effect direction, heterogeneity (I²), and risk-of-bias judgments; forest bathing should still be positioned as adjunctive wellness, not a replacement for mental-health treatment when symptoms are clinically significant.

Outcomes

Cortisol Level
Meta-analysis endpoint: salivary cortisol as stress biomarker after forest bathing vs control (see paper for pooled estimate and CI)

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