Here are 11 Houseplants that Will Improve Your Health
With the passing of the seasons and the advent of winter, we spend significantly less time outside, which means we are significantly more likely to experience poor air quality. While we may not realize it as we go about our everyday lives, indoor toxins can have a drastic effect on our health, potentially leading to Asthma, allergies, inflammation and even cancer. These amazing house plants can bring the benefits of the outdoors inside, at a low cost. Try them for improved indoor health.
Jasmine: Helps Promote Sleep Quality
Jasmine is a genus of shrubs and vines belonging to the olive family primarily found outdoors, but can also be grown indoors. With its scent, you can get a better night’s sleep, as well as be more alert.
Lavender: Reduce Anxiety and Stress
The lavender plant belongs to the mint family and is known to have 39 known species and its essential oil is common. It can be used to cope with stress, improve sleep, and calm restless babies, as well as reduce anxiety and reduce heart rate.
Rosemary: Improve Your Memory
A perennial herb native to the Mediterranean region, rosemary is also a member of the mint family. Research has proven that it increases memory as well as the overall air quality in the room.
Aloe Vera: Improve Overall Air Quality
Aloe Vera plants are succulent plants that have been used as an herbal medicine since the first century AD. These plants are used by NASA because of their ability to greatly improve the quality of air by adding fresh oxygen.
English Ivy Plant: Reduce Mold Count
Throughout Europe and Western Asia you will find English Ivy, a species of flowering plant. Those who suffer from allergies or lung irritation may benefit from the use of this plant, as it has been shown to reduce airborne mold by 94 percent.
Snake Plant: Prevent Headaches
The Snake Plant is a plant native to West Africa belonging to the Asparagaceae family. In addition to reducing eye irritation and headaches and improving energy levels, snake plants also improve the health of the nervous system. NASA was among the first to discover the many benefits of the snake plant.
During their studies, they sealed a single snake plant in an enclosed chamber for 24 hours, whilst releasing a number of toxic gases. Results showed Benzene levels were reduced by 53% and Trichloroethylene by 13.4%.
Golden Pothos: Great Plant for the Garage
These plants are another powerful tool in the fight against poor air quality as well as stress impacting factors.
The Golden Pothos looks like a vine that grows fast and creates a waterfall of green when it is displayed in a hanging basket. The presence of such a plant in your office or home is a great way to create a relaxing atmosphere.
The ability of this plant to remain green, even in a dark room, is one of its unique characteristics. Make sure this plant gets plenty of bright, indirect light during the day and avoid overwatering, as this might cause root rot to set in.
Chrysanthemum: Medicinal Benefits
When taken as a tea, this hot-hued plant purifies the air, help with stress symptom reduction, calms our body down, and is proven to treat skin concerns.
The word safflower originates from the Greek words for “gold” and “flower”. Aside from air purification benefits, the safflower also has a number of medicinal uses. Treatments include high blood pressure, chest pain, fever, type 2 diabetes, colds, headaches, swelling, and dizziness.
Combining it with other herbs can also be useful in treating prostate cancer, and this tea is a popular one in Southern China. This tea is known to be both soothing and relaxing, which can help to treat anxiety symptoms by relaxing the nervous system.
Ivy is an herbaceous plant that can be found in Western Asia and Europe. The particular species makes a great companion to those wishing to calm their allergies, especially if they suffer from asthma.
In just 12 hours, airborne mold levels are said to be reduced by 94%. As a result it’s one of the most effective plants for removing formaldehyde from the air and promoting a good night’s sleep!
Areca Palm: Purifies Air
Many people also keep the Areca palm in their homes and offices as an air purifying plant.
The plant is extremely easy to maintain (provided you don’t overwater it), and it is able to add moisture to the surrounding atmosphere. There are several toxins removed from the air, such as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.
Purer air (both while awake and when we sleep) helps to reduce anxiety levels and lower blood pressure, which in turn helps us to calm our mental and physical state.
Red-edged Dracaena: Brightens and Purifies the Home
In addition to bringing a pop of color to your home with its purple-red edging on its leaves, this fast-growing shrub is also celebrated for its air-purifying properties, which promote a relaxing, fresh ambiance.
It can protect homes from airborne pollutants such as formaldehyde, xylene, and trichloroethylene, all of which can enter the environment from the use of varnishes, lacquers, and petroleum. These harmful chemicals lead to elevated stress levels, difficulties concentrating, and an increase in anxiety.
Gerbera Daisy: Remove Toxins from the Air
The brightly colored, flowering plant is an exceptionally effective air purifier. It is renowned for its ability to remove Trichloroethylene, a chemical that many dry cleaners bring home unknowingly with them. Add it to your office, laundry room, or bedroom to promote a calming ambiance and restful night’s sleep. It can also remove benzene from the air – a chemical associated with inks.
To make sure it grows healthy, you need to mist the leaves every few weeks and give it plenty of light. It needs well-drained soil, so make sure you buy a vessel with adequate drainage holes. The beautiful hue of this flower will enhance the beauty of our homes as well as improve our mental state. Brightly colored plants in the home or office also work wonders for happiness.
Closing
When it comes to lowering blood pressure, improving well-being, increasing productivity, and raising job satisfaction, plants at home and at work are essential. Among the other benefits includes improving reaction times, increasing concentration, promoting a restful night’s sleep, and reducing levels of anxiety. Being green has its perks!