5 Health Benefits of Houseplants

If winter leaves you feeling cooped up, houseplants may be your key to brighter days.

Those seemingly innocuous plants grow with a wide array of health benefits, according to numerous studies. Even NASA has researched the pluses of a simple ivy plant. The findings highlight these benefits.

1) Cleaner air:
NASA scientists famously found in the 1980s that basic houseplants provide effective air detoxification and can even scrub out formaldehyde, benzene, and other cancer-causing volatile organic compounds. NASA used them to help filter air for astronauts isolated in the space station.

Later reports suggest that plants can reduce the burden of respiratory health issues and that soil microorganisms in potted plants also play a part in cleansing indoor air. It requires a mini jungle to produce a measurable difference in air quality, but NASA’s research indicates that the larger and leafier the plant, the better. Astronaut-approved flora include philodendrons, pothos, ivy, and spider plants.

2) Sweeter ambiance:
Research suggests that plants can make our homes environmentally friendly by raising the humidity to more comfortable levels, absorbing noise, and even reducing air particulates. The result? A nicer indoor environment.

3) Calmer living:
Multiple studies have shown that houseplants calm us and make us feel more content; when we’re around them, they reduce psychological and physiological stress by relaxing the body’s autonomic nervous system and lowering diastolic blood pressure. Spending time around plants may even boost the immune system.

4) Enhanced productivity:
Plants have been found to boost productivity, concentration, and mental processing, as well as to ease mental fatigue. So consider plants for your office, home office, or anywhere else you like to get work done.

5) Low barrier to entry:
Caring for plants connects you to the outdoors and nature. ZZ plants, snake plants, and Christmas cacti are easy to maintain and good choices for beginners.