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Health Benefits of Houseplants (13 Plants With Benefits)

A home with different houseplants.

Houseplants can not only please the eye but also affect the general well being of the body and mind.

Houseplants improve your quality of life. They help you take care of our health, as they reduce stress. They give us positivism and improve our mood. How?

Don’t worry, I will tell you more about what plants they are and all their health benefits.  So read on!

Are house plants good for health?

Houseplants are good for your health and well being. It’s not about enhancing your indoor or office aesthetics! Residents of greener homes are less prone to stress. The better-oxygenated brain ensures greater relaxation for residents. Houseplants filter substances that can be harmful to health. They also increase the humidity of the environment, making it more comfortable.

Health Benefits of Having House Plants

Having houseplants not only beautifies home; it also benefits your physical and mental health.

1. Disease prevention

Plants help you cleanse the air of disease. Having them indoors increases humidity, helps remove dust and pollution. This helps prevent you from allergic conditions.

2. Breathing better

Let’s go back to high school for a review of the natural sciences. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. When we breathe we take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

These opposing habits make us natural partners with plants. The benefit of having them in our home is that they increase oxygen levels.

During the night, photosynthesis stops and plants work in reverse. This time they breathe like us, take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

Some plants like orchids and succulents do the opposite. So that is the reason you should put these plants in the rooms to cool the air at night.

3. Improve health

Placing plants in your work environments reduces fatigue, anxiety, sore throats, and flu symptoms.

As mentioned, plants increase the level of oxygen in your home. Thus helping oxygenation in brain cells, alleviating the horrible headaches.

4. They help our skin

Plants increase the moisture in the air and this helps a lot to hydrate your skin and make it look healthier.

5. Prevent insomnia

It’s horrible not being able to rest properly because of insomnia. Plants help you by releasing oxygen throughout the day. They benefit your mental and physical health, which helps you rest better.

Mental health benefits of indoor plants

Indoor plants have important effects on stress management. They cause a reduction in your discomfort and anxiety. By reducing stress, your ability to concentrate increases to a certain level.

Thus it improves your productivity and the level of satisfaction in the workplace. You will also feel an increase in the sense of well-being, improving the general mood.

Houseplants are capable of miracles

They absorb harmful substances, saturate the air with oxygen, moisturize it, improve the energy of the house and the people living in it.

An example that you may still remember from school is a cactus. If you put it on a computer or TV so that it reduces electromagnetic radiation. 

NASA scientists conducted research on how effectively houseplants cleanse the air from harmful impurities. And it turned out to be very effective. The number of harmful toxins in the room decreases by 87% per day.

Forest bath effect

There is a reason why you want to take a forest bath and feel comfortable, heal, and want to take a deep breath. It is based on the scent component “phytoncide” released from all plants.

Forest bathing is good for health. It is a medical practice in Europe and the United States.

Research and studies have proven the effects of stress relief, energy recovery, and improvement of the autonomic nervous system.  However, it is difficult to go to forest bathing in the present age.

You can experience forest bathing while staying at home by decorating houseplants in the indoor space.

Air purifying effect

House plants can absorb harmful substances such as formaldehyde, toluene, xylene, and acetone. They also produce phytochemicals (chemicals produced by plants) that suppress mold spores and bacteria of your home.

You may find studies that show home with lots of plants have 50-60% fewer mold spores and bacteria than a home without plants. 

In other words, you can say houseplants are excellent air purification system that absorbs carbon dioxide.

At the same time, they absorb and decompose harmful substances, such as formaldehyde, and sends out human-friendly air.

Visual fatigue relief

When you look at the plant it increases the activity of the cerebral cortex, eliminating visual fatigue. Green is a color that does not make your eyes tired even after long hours.

So this color is suitable for resting your eyes. This is because the wavelength of green light does not burden the retina.

That’s why blackboards, pool tables, and other places where concentration is required are green.

So, each plant has its own special energy to influence your surrounding atmosphere. I have chosen 13 indoor plants for you that can improve both the microclimate and the health of a person.

Geranium 

The most common indoor flower and one of the most influential. It purifies the air, eliminating harmful substances and excessive humidity, improves energy, affects the nervous system, getting rid of fatigue and depression, relaxes, normalizes sleep, uplifts the mood, its smell helps you with colds.

If you rub the geranium leaf and smell a little, you can get rid of the headache. It is also believed that this flower enhances family happiness. Geranium can be replaced by pelargonium.  

Outwardly they are very similar, nevertheless, they are different plants. Pelargonium has a similar effect.

Spider plant

One of the best air purifiers. The more polluted the air, the faster the spider plant grows. You should place it, especially in new buildings as it charges a good mood and fills with energy.

It also actively eliminates formaldehyde, which is emitted by synthetic materials, including linoleum and laminate.

It is believed that it improves the energy in the house, prevents the spread of quarrels.

Aloe vera

It is called a plant for all cases of life due to the mass of healing properties. The healing properties you will find in aloe vera like improving immunity, digestion, wound healing, help with colds, burns, inflammation, etc.

In addition, it improves the energy in the house, creates a favorable aura. 
So, if you often get sick or argue with your partner or parents, get this plant.

Aloe is also considered a symbol of love and faith. You can put it in the bedroom because aloe, unlike other plants, produces oxygen at night rather than during the day. It also helps with insomnia.

Lemon

It’s also a plant for almost all occasions. Lemon releases volatile substances, which kill bacteria and purify your indoor air. It helps you with colds and stress, calms the nerves, improves the mood, gives strength and improves performance. 

Lemon, like other citrus fruits, improves your overall body condition and brain activity. People call it a symbol of liveliness.

Rub the leaves and inhale the aroma of lemon. It will give you a refreshing feel.  You can use it for tired and weakened people.

Rosemary

Increases immunity. It will help you with fatigue, overwork, loss of strength. Its scent has an impact on the brain, which improves concentration and memory.

Thanks to its cleansing and moisturizing properties. It helps with bronchitis and colds. You can consider rosemary one of the most effective in respiratory problems.

Actual for neuroses. You can always rip a sprig to put in a salad or meat.

Mint

Her aroma will cheer you up. It has a strong effect on the nervous system, relieves fatigue, reduces irritability, aggressiveness, energizes.

It will help you with headaches and insomnia. To enhance the aromatic effect, you just rub the leaves slightly.

By the way, American psychologists advise you to get mint if you work a lot at the computer: it helps to concentrate.

Ficus

It purifies the air from bacteria, saturates your home with oxygen, refreshes and moisturizes it. This is why it is especially important if you live near the roads. Its leaves are often covered with a small layer of dust.

This is what was in the air and what you breathe. You should therefore periodically wipe the leaves of this plant with a damp cloth.

Ficus also cleans the house from negative energy, giving you determination and activity and reducing stress.

Begonia

This bright flower moisturizes and purifies the air, killing microbes and absorbing toxins of your home. It also helps you with depression and stress, relieves irritation, unnecessary emotions, increases efficiency, and boosts immunity.

It reduces electromagnetic radiation from computers and other household appliances. It helps you find harmony in life.

Bay laurel

You may know bay laurel as a condiment.  But you can use this plant as a wonderful relaxing remedy and its aroma is shooting. You may also consider this as one of the best air purifiers from harmful microorganisms.

If you are a very friendly host, then Feng Shui experts recommend placing a laurel in the hallway or living room. It will help to convert negative energy into positive.

Dracaena

People call it the tree of happiness. It cleans the air and improves the energy of your home. It harmonizes and balances, creating a favorable microclimate.

It helps you with headaches, insomnia, low immunity. It improves mood, vitality, helps to get rid of depression, to eliminate unnecessary quarrels in the family, to restore peace of mind.

Peace Lily

Peace lilies are especially good in humid environments, as they can absorb mold spores. 

Lavender

Lavender releases an aroma with chemicals that are beneficial to the nervous system. That’s why it helps you fall asleep, whether you drink it as an herbal tea or simply let it scent your room.

Bromeliads

It passed the NASA test as the best plant to remove volatile organic compounds, which may contain chlorine, bromine, fluorine or sulfur, and that are released by burning fuels.

Some more tips

  • Experts recommend planting indoor plants at the rate of at least 1 houseplant per 10 square meters. m room.
  • Plants with spiky leaves and needles are best placed in the living room and the kitchen, rather than in the bedroom.
  • Red flowers saturate the room with energy, stimulates activity, yellow lifts the mood, white eliminates negative thoughts.
  • The Japanese found that even just touching the leaves of indoor plants reduces blood pressure and helps reduce stress.
  • You shouldn’t put flowers with a strong scent in your bedroom. You’ll get a headache the next morning. In the room where you sleep, it is better to keep a minimum of plants in order not to share oxygen with them at night.

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