3 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Houseplants

Houseplants do not only look wonderful in your home. They also provide a number of health benefits to you and to your family. Plants are known to purify the air, reduce stress, and improve moods for a happier and healthier you. If you are planning to add houseplants in your home decoration, here are three health benefits of having houseplants at home:

Benefit 1: Plants Help Relieve and Reduce Stress

If you want less stressful life, consider adding houseplants into your home. A study conducted in Japan in 2010 using Shinrin-yoku, a forest bathing process. According to the study, spending some time in a place surrounded with plants and nature lowers down high blood pressure, reduces stress, and relaxes the body. To be surrounded with nature requires going out to the wild, which is impossible during the pandemic.

The good thing is that tropical plants can be brought indoors. Anyone can grow houseplants and reap the benefits that plants provide. The Journal of Physiological Anthropology published an article about a study on the human interactions with plants, which included the transplanting, pruning, and even touching of plants. The same results of less stress and more relaxed mood were experienced. If you are feeling weary, tired, or depressed, choose to spend more time around plants and enjoy the benefits.

Benefit 2: Plants Improve the Quality of the Air

According to the study conducted by NASA, plants have a remarkable ability of improving the quality of the air for the benefit of the human being. Plants purify and filter the air and increase the oxygen level in the room, reducing up to 87% of toxins present in the air. The root system is known to effectively remove VOC or volatile organic compounds, including formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene from the air. With plants around, the air you breathe is clean and pure.  

Benefit 3: Plants Help Improve Productivity and Creativity

Another benefit of having houseplants or indoor plants is that they help improve productivity and creativity. Plants also improve the cognition and brain function. According to the Texas A&M study, people who are surrounded with live plants in the office and workplace had great improvements on concentration, critical thinking, problem solving, and out-of-the-box thinking. A study was also conducted in the University of Michigan showing that plants at home or in the office helped improve memory retention. Based on these results, it is beneficial to have houseplants and indoor plants, especially to those who find it difficult to focus and concentrate.