Spicing up your home with indoor plants can do you a world of good. However, indoor plants aren’t just great in a decorative sense, but they’re also great in a healthy and scientific sense. Believe it or not, having indoor plants come with a lot of health benefits. So, whether you’ve been a plant parent for a long while, or are just starting to care for plants, then these benefits are something to hear! Here are 10 amazing benefits – backed by science – that come with caring for an indoor plant inside your home or at work.
Air-Cleaning Qualities In Home
According to HGTV, indoor plants have the capability to clean the air inside your home. Indoors rely on carbon dioxide, so in return, they turn it into oxygen. Such great indoor plants include:
- Chinese Evergreen
- Dragon Tree
- English Ivy
- Peace Lily, etc.
Combats Secondhand Smoke
Just as indoor plants have air-cleaning qualities, they can also tackle cigarette smoke. One study involving peppermint plants found that when placed in a room with cigarette smoke, the toxins were absorbed into the plants’ leaves and roots a couple of hours later.
Better Focus
A study done by Exeter University in the U.K. found that indoor plants improved people’s memory by up to 20%. This study took into account cognitive skills in conjunction with focus such as creative thinking, spatial processing, etc.
“The secret? When oxygen (converted from carbon dioxide by indoor plants) is given to the brain, the person can stay focused on the task at hand” says Tyson Meyer, a psychology writer at Boom Essays.
Better Mood
Affinity Health suggests that indoor plants can improve mood. In fact, a 2007 study found that a special bacterium in plant soil called Mycobacterium vaccae. This bacterium helps release serotonin, a vital hormone which lifts someone’s mood and, in turn, reduces anxiety. Thus, that person can be filled with positivity and happiness.
Allergy Prevention
Despite plants having a reputation of causing allergies, there are some indoor plants that can help with one’s allergies. Zyrtec suggests having indoor plants that are allergy-friendly, including the Bamboo Palm and the Dracaena.
Stress Relief
Indoor plants can also help in reducing stress levels. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology showed that plants at home or in the office can make you feel more comfortable than stressed. The study involved 24 young male adults and, of the people tested, the results were apparent with satisfactory heart rates and normal blood pressure, as they were tasked to do computer work while having indoor plants in the room.
Illness Recovery
The cold and the flu are some of the most common illnesses that people face. But with indoor plants, these illnesses can be kept at bay. Popsugar suggests that when the humidity is above 40%, the cold and flu viruses have less impact on a person. Therefore, indoor plants encourage this humidity, thus weakening airborne viruses responsible for the cold and flu illnesses.
Boosted Productivity
With focus and mood improved, indoor plants allow for someone to be more productive in their work. In fact, studies have shown that having indoor plants can boost things like productivity by up to 15%. So, don’t worry about your workload, when you can have an indoor plant by your side as you work.
Handles Acoustics In The Home
Believe it or not, indoor plants can actually reduce any background noise that might be around your home. If you need to have less background noise at home or in your office, then you’ll be glad to know that the amount of noise reduction that can be caused by indoor plants depends on the following:
- The number of plants
- The size of your plant(s)
- The surface area of the leaves, AND
- The surface area of the plants themselves
Better Night’s Sleep
Finally, if you’re looking for a better night’s sleep, then indoor plants can help with that. Indoor plants like the spider plant, according to Dreams.co.uk, help reduce blood pressure, and help to bring you into a calmer state. Thus, you’ll feel more relaxed, and sleep will come easier.
Backed by science, indoor plants have the capabilities needed to ensure that you reap the health benefits that they come with. So, why not pick up an indoor plant at your local plant nursery today?
