5 Ways Your Houseplants May Be Improving Your Health
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Were you one of the many of us who became an amateur horticulturist in 2020? In addition to the patio garden I built, my apartment has also slowly acquired a good number of indoor plants over the past nine months, to the point that my fiancé is slightly concerned about how many plants may actually end up in our future home. While it’s been fun propagating and growing plants, these little green friends are much more than a hobby or decoration! Today we are going to discuss five ways indoor plants may actually improve your health.
1) Plants improve the quality of air in our environment. If you remember back to your elementary school days, you probably recall learning about photosynthesis, but did you learn about phytoremediation? Phytoremediation is the word used to describe plants “scrubbing” contaminants from the air. [1] NASA has actually conducted studies using plants to find ways to purify air in the spaceship! These studies have actually shown that plants can successfully remove chemicals and vapors that are found in the air of a sealed space shuttle. Certain species of plants have stronger “scrubbing” abilities than others, so if you’re really looking to purify the air in your living space, you may want to find yourself one of the following plants:
Boston Fern
Rubber Tree
Spider Plant
Ficus Tree
2) Looking at plants or flowers may speed up the recovery time from an illness. There’s a reason why people bring flowers to friends and loved ones when they’re sick or injured! A review of studies was done in 2002 that suggested the recovery time of patients in hospitals that had a garden or other landscape view was faster. Physiological improvements have actually been measured showing positive changes in markers such as blood pressure, heart activity, muscle tension, and brain electrical activity. [2] If you’re recovering from an illness or injury and you have a great view out your window then open up the blinds and take advantage of this great alternative if you haven’t jumped on the plant-parent bandwagon yet. If you’ve been dealing with high blood pressure or muscle tension, adding a plant or two to your workspace is a great way to naturally combat these issues and it may even increase your productivity!
3) Plants help us feel better. Evidence has been found to support the notion that exposure to nature scenes (ie. gardens, plants, flowers) for as little as three to five minutes can cause psychological/emotional improvements. The view of foliage was found to not only increase levels of positive feelings, but also decrease negative feelings of fear, anger or sadness. [2] A General Practitioner office in Manchester, England has actually started prescribing potted plants to patients who are suffering from depression, anxiety or loneliness. The patient is sent home with a potted kale plant or herb to care for and then after caring for the plant for the prescribed period of time, they are asked to bring it back and plant it in a communal garden. [3] The practice has seen great results from people tending to their plant a well as from working in the garden.
Having a rough day or week? Buy yourself a plant or some flowers and simply spend a little time tending to your newest companion as your spirits are lifted. Even a small patio garden can have a massive impact on mental wellbeing.
4) Plants can increase the humidity in a room. As we head into the winter months, the air tends to be drier, causing dry skin and potential respiratory irritations. Plants release a majority of the water they take in, making them a great natural humidifier. By adding several plants to a room where you spend a great deal of time, you may be able to prevent dry skin, colds, dry coughs, and sore throats!
5) Plants increase oxygen levels. As you probably remember from those photosynthesis lessons, during this process, plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. At night, when it is dark and photosynthesis is no longer occurring, many plants begin to breath like humans, absorbing oxygen and producing carbon dioxide. While this would mean it is not ideal to have plants in your bedroom, there is good news! Certain types of plants do just the opposite, absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen at night. If you’d like to restore oxygen levels while you’re sleeping than place some of the following plants in your bedroom [4]:
Orchid
Succulent
Epiphytic bromeliad
If you’re worried that you have a black thumb and may not be able to keep a plant alive, rest assured that some plants are lower maintenance than others! Check out this link to learn about the 10 lowest maintenance houseplants. Some of them don’t even grow in soil!
With the holidays approaching, you may find yourself at a loss for gift ideas for those people who have everything… well maybe they need a plant in their life?! It truly is the gift that keeps on giving, in all of the right ways!
** Before bringing a new plant into your home, it’s important to check with a reliable source to be sure that it is safe for children and/or pets! The ASPCA and National Poison Center both offer information regarding plants that could be potentially poisonous if consumed!
Resources:
September 8, 2020. A Hobby for All Seasons: 7 Science-Backed Benefits of Indoor Plants, (Retrieved on November 20, 2020). https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-home-guide/benefits-of-indoor-plants#safe-plants
January 2002. Health Benefits of Gardens in Hospitals. (Retrieved on November 20, 2020). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/252307449_Health_Benefits_of_Gardens_in_Hospitals
August 27, 2019. ‘Ey up petal – how docs are prescribing plants to keep Mancs (k)ale and hearty. (Retrieved on November 20, 2020). https://healthiermanchester.org/ey-up-petal-how-docs-are-prescribing-plants-to-keep-mancs-kale-and-hearty/
5 Benefits of Houseplants. (Retrieved on November 20, 2020). https://www.bioadvanced.com/articles/5-benefits-houseplants
