Indoor Plants

Introducing indoor plants into your home is a wonderful way to add beautiful green accents to your décor. But did you know there are numerous health benefits of indoor plants too? Read on...

Indoor Plants Help You Breathe Better

We all know that plants release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide as part of the photosynthesis process. This means more oxygen for your home, which in turn helps you breathe easier and also derive more energy from each breath.

 

           

 

Indoor Plants Can Prevent Respiratory Distress

During photosynthesis, plants also release water vapour into the air, increasing the humidity content in your home. In turn, this helps relieve dry coughs, general cold and flu-like symptoms, and dry skin.

Indoor Plants Get Rid of Airborne Contaminants

 

Researchers at NASA claim that plants can remove about 90% of all volatile organic compounds (formaldehyde, benzene etc.) from your home within one day, leading to a cleaner, greener internal atmosphere.

Indoor Plants Help You Focus

Plants help you become more attentive, focused, optimistic and calm. This makes them especially suited for your children¿s room, helping them learn and remember school materials more effectively.

Indoor Plants Enhance Your General Wellbeing

Medical research has repeatedly demonstrated that hospital patients who have plants in their rooms have lower blood pressure, anxiety/stress and pulse rates, and also need less pain medication compared to patients who don¿t have plants in their rooms. What¿s more, Norwegian scientists also found that adding plants to a home or office environment leads to less fatigue, headaches, stress and sickness.

In addition to the above, several research studies indicate that indoor plants help fight allergies, negate cigarette smoke, ease chest congestion, alleviate depression and even help you sleep better at night.

Popular Indoor Plants

Some of most widely used indoor plants are listed below, along with their primary health benefits and maintenance information:
 

  • Peace lily: Removes mould, acetone, and formaldehyde; best kept in bathrooms.
  • Snake plant: Removes nitrogen oxide and toxins produced by gas-burning appliances; best kept in the kitchen; needs minimal watering.
  • Spider plant: Removes carbon monoxide and formaldehyde; best kept in the living room; needs light and lots of water.
  • Lady palm: Removes most air pollutants; can be kept anywhere around the house; needs shade in colder months and sun in summers as well as frequent watering.
  • Aloe Vera: Removes formaldehyde; best kept in the kitchen; needs lots of sun.
As you can see, indoor plants improve your health in several ways and also add style, character and charm to your décor. Generally speaking, try to place one large indoor plant (or 2 to 3 small ones) every 9 square metres for best results.
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