Having a few plants and flowers around the house is a great way to bring a bit of the beauty of the outdoors into your home. Even cacti, succulents and spider plants add a bit of positive energy and they’re perfect for people who can’t keep anything else alive. Did you know, though, that having houseplants can actually be beneficial for your health? Let’s take a look at some of the science behind the benefits that houseplants can offer.
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They Reduce Healing Times
Whether you’re home with the flu or in the hospital recovering from surgery, having some houseplants around can help you recover quicker, according to scientists. According to a study completed by researchers at Kansas State University, patients who had ornamental plants in their rooms experienced lower blood pressure, lower pain ratings and fewer instances of anxiety and fatigue than patients kept in control rooms.
While the procedure being used was only a simple hemorrhoidectomy, the point still stands — not only can plants keep you healthy, but they can also help you recover simply by being in your home or hospital room.
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They Help Clean the Air
We’ve been told since childhood that plants and trees absorb and use carbon dioxide and then produce oxygen for us to breathe. Some species of plants go one step further — they actually filter the air we breathe. A study by NASA found that a number of different species filter common volatile organic chemicals from the air, including:
- Benzene
- Xylene
- Ammonia
- Formaldehyde
- Trichloroethlyne
You may have some of these plants in your home already. Aloe vera, snake plants, spider plants, Boston ferns and peace lilies are all common and popular houseplants and all of them can help filter dangerous chemicals from the air you breathe.
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They Increase Productivity
No one likes working in a bare office — especially if it doesn’t have any windows. Adding a few plants can do more than make your office air a little cleaner — it can actually help you become more productive. A study that spans more than 10 years and four universities found that adding houseplants to a “lean” office setting — one without windows or other forms of natural light or plant life — can help increase employee productivity by up to 15 percent.
It’s not just humans who benefit from this. If you put an animal in a cage without plants, they’re miserable. Add some plants or let them outside where they can experience nature, and they’re much happier. Ideally, all animals should be able to live in environments where they are happy and comfortable, but that’s beside the point.
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They Help Increase Memory
If you have trouble remembering little things, it might be time to pick up a few houseplants. A study published in The Journal of Environmental Psychology found that the process of letting your mind wander while you stare at a plant can help to improve memory retention.
This does require additional study, though — researchers have yet to determine whether the benefit comes from staring at plants alone or simply from allowing your mind to take short breaks while you’re working. But with all the other benefits that plants offer, what have you got to lose, right?
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They Help Regulate Indoor Humidity
If you live in a humid environment, you probably have dehumidifiers in your home. These usually come in one of two forms — electric dehumidifiers that pull moisture from the air or products like DampRid, which protect your home from moisture in enclosed spaces. While these are both effective for removing moisture from your home, there is a more natural way to do this: by purchasing some houseplants. Plant species that are familiar with normally dry or arid environments will naturally pull humidity from the air, making it easier to regulate.
On the other side of the coin, some plants will help to make your home a little more humid, reducing your reliance on electric humidifiers. Boston ferns, for example, are ideal for wintertime because they help regulate the dry winter air.
If you live in excessively wet or excessively dry locations, you may still need a bit of help, but having a few indoor plants can help keep things a little more balanced.
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They Help to Reduce Stress
Going outside and being around nature is good for you in more ways than one. In this case, it helps to reduce your stress and anxiety levels. Microbes — colloquially dubbed “outdoorphins” — work as natural antidepressants, triggering your body to release cytokines, which in turn causes your brain to release more serotonin. While being outdoors is probably one of the best natural ways to alleviate stress, we know it’s not always possible to get outside, especially during the work day. Thankfully, you can get some of the same benefits from being around indoor plants.
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They Keep You Healthier
We’ve already spoken about how plants can help regulate your home’s indoor humidity, but this can also help to keep you healthier. By maintaining a more moderate humidity, you can reduce the occurrences of dry weather-related ailments like dry skin, sore throats and colds.
In addition, higher humidity in the home helps to reduce the spread of the flu virus. The virus itself can’t survive on surfaces if the interior humidity is high. Anything we can do to prevent its spread is a good thing.
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They Keep Your Home Cooler
If you live in a hot environment, you know how much it costs to keep your house cool during the warm summer months. Including plants in your home can help to reduce energy costs by helping to reduce your interior temperature. This goes back to house plants regulating interior humidity — a cool room feels warmer if it has higher humidity and vice-versa.
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They Help Lower Background Noise
If you live in an apartment or just prefer to keep background noise to a minimum, adding some plants can help reduce the background noise you experience. Plants and trees are often added to the side of highways to help reduce traffic noise. You, too, can use them to reduce noise from inside and outside your home. Large, bushy plants outdoors can help as well.
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They Help You Sleep
Plants are beneficial for more than just your living room. Adding a few plants to your bedroom can actually help you sleep. These plants clean the air, produce oxygen and help you sleep better just by sharing space with you. Many of the same plants we’ve spoken about before, such as the peace lily, Boston fern and aloe plants, can all help improve the air quality in your room and help you get a better night’s sleep.
Whether you live alone in the middle of the woods or in an apartment in a crowded city, everyone can benefit from including a few houseplants in their life. With a little bit of sunlight and water, these plants can clean your air, reduce your stress levels and even help you recover more quickly from illness or injury.
Don’t worry — if you have a black thumb and couldn’t grow a plant to save your life, there are plenty of foolproof plants available that are almost impossible to kill even if you wanted to.