The Many Health Benefits of House Plants

Plants. They're alive, colorful, scented , and did we mention just plain beautiful?

While many people are aware of the many decorative benefits of plants, few realize that they have the ability to improve your mental and physical health. Whether you live in a concrete jungle like New York City or the vineyards of Northern California, or anywhere in between, every home can benefit from bringing the great outdoors inside.

Benefits of plants

They reduce stress levels

Have you ever noticed that the minute you step out into a lush forest or beautiful park, you instantly feel at ease? It's not your imagination. People actually feel calmer when surrounded by greenery.

Plants improve air quality

Believe it or not, some plants are so good at purifying air and supplying oxygen that NASA actually requires them to be onboard certain spaceships. But you don't have to become an astronaut to benefit from these benefits. Even your typical green plant has the ability to:

• Reduce carbon dioxide levels in your home.
• Control humidity levels.
• Reduce pollution levels in your home (specifically the pollutants benzene and nitrogen).
• Diminish airborne dust levels.
• Lower room temperatures.
• Add pure, clean oxygen to a room.

Peace Lily Plant

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Snake Floor Plant (Sansevieria)

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Plants help you heal

Plants may not be a miracle cure, but studies have shown that something as simple as looking at a picture of nature can decrease pain levels. Take, for example, a 2017 study from Denmark that looked at how artwork in hospitals affected patient healing. Amazingly, patients who looked at landscape photographs (compared to others who had white panels or abstract paintings in their room) reported less anxiety and needed less medication.

The reason? Scientists believe that the calming effects of nature images can reduce cortisol levels and improve your mood, effectively speeding up the healing process. If a picture can do all that, imagine what live plants could do!

Health-promoting plants to bring into your home

Lavender

Lavender isn't just a beautiful bloom for your garden, it can provide various health benefits due to its gentle and calming scent. Lavender is often used in Epsom salts, soaps and candles to help promote relaxation and relieve stress. Lavender essential oils can also be placed in a diffuser: let it run through the night and experience the soothing scent for less restlessness and insomnia.

Rose bush

“Stop and smell the roses" isn't just an expression anymore. Studies have shown that just by looking at a rose, people were able to decrease their stress levels and feel more level-headed.

Aloe vera

Aloe vera has been used as a natural remedy for thousands of years, surpassing the test of time as new methods and medicines have been developed. The clear gel from the plant's leaves soothes the skin and is typically used for sunburns, psoriasis, frostbite, and general burns.

Snake plant

Sansevieria, also know as the snake plant or mother-in-law's tongue, is well known to improve the air quality of your house. Snake Plants remove toxins from the air like trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, and toluene all while converting the carbon dioxide you release into oxygen. Another great benefit? They're notoriously easy to care for.

Fern

If your home suffers from low levels of humidity, skip the humidifier and consider buying a fern. Within days, you'll notice that your skin and hair feel less dry and your home's air is easier to breathe.

Peace lily

Like the snake plant, peace lilies are a great pollutant remover. They can absorb harmful air-bound substances like ammonia and xylene that may be present in your home. Not only will you breathe better, you'll breathe lighter — the peace lily has a pleasant, calming aroma since it produces flowers.