Horticulture for Human Health

The Division Horticulture for Human Health (DHEA) consists of a multidisciplinary activity aimed at identifying and researching links of horticultural products, and the practice of horticulture itself, to human health. Activities include identifying and developing germplasm with increased phytonutrient levels, agronomic manipulation to increase phytonutrient levels, enhancing bioavailability and bioaccessability, research to support health claims, maintaining nutrient levels between harvest and point of application or consumption, and expanding the use of horticulture itself as a therapy. Fruit, vegetables and nuts have been identified as critical in our diet to providing a wide range of specific human health benefits. Medicinal plants form the source of many modern pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, and continue to provide the basis of new medicinal product discovery. In an increasingly time-poor world, the field of horticultural therapy is expanding as a scientific means to provide both health remediation and relaxation.
R&D activities are presently centered on three key domains:

• Fruit, vegetables and nuts as critical dietary constituents: plant physiology, biochemistry, molecular investigations and breeding aimed at understanding and increasing phytonutrient biosynthesis; bioaccessibility and bioavailability studies (in vitro and in vivo) to increase nutrient uptake; specific and general dietary health claims and relation to wider programs such as ‘2 & 5 a day’; environmental and agronomic influence on phytonutrient levels; consumer uptake and marketing; and interactions with anti-nutritional compounds,
• Medicinal plants as sources of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals: plant physiology, biochemistry and molecular investigations aimed at understanding and controlling medicinal compound biosynthesis; environmental and agronomic influence on phytonutrient levels; health claims in relation to plant products versus isolated compounds; product development; applications beyond human health, including animal and soil health; discovery and plant mining of new sources of medicinal compounds,
• Horticulture as an applied health and well-being therapy: therapeutic therapy aimed at medical and illness recovery; improvement and restoration of physical activity, social skills and engagement; improvement of cognitive function (e.g. dementia, PTSI) in comparison to standard care and other non-pharmacological interventions; therapeutic associations between colour, texture, and fragrance, on attention restoration, positivity, stress reduction, and hypertension.

In essence, Horticulture for Human Health is an exciting, important, and growing field that combines plant science, dietary nutrition, plant-based medicinal products, and horticultural therapy to build a healthier world based on real world science.