Why You Should Keep Plants In Your Home

Plants aren't just an attractive decoration for the inside of your home. These living organisms directly interact with you to benefit your mind and body. Here how including more plants in your indoor space can improve your quality of life.

Water Release 

As a result of respiratory and photosynthetic processes, plants give off moisture vapor, which lends more humidity to the air in your home. Plants release almost all (around (97%) of the water they take in. Adding moisture to the air is especially beneficial if you or your loved ones suffer from allergies or asthma, as humid air. It can help to soothe the lungs and airways. Studies conducted by the Agricultural University of Norway also reveal that people who have plants in the house get colds and dry coughs less often than those without plants.

Air Purification

Plants can remove up to 87% of volatile organic compounds in the air every 24 hours, according to research conducted by NASA. Volatile organic compounds include chemicals like formaldehyde, which is present in rugs, cigarette smoke, grocery bags and vinyl. Benzene and trichloroethylene are also present in the air, and in items like paint and inks. If you live and work in a climate-controlled environment, you're exposed to volatile organic compounds in large amounts throughout the day. Plants can pull these substances into their soil, where they are converted into plant food and won't cause harm to you.

Easier Breathing

With each breath you take, your body is taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. When plants undergo photosynthesis, they take in carbon dioxide i.e co2 and release oxygen i.e o2. So, the more plants you add to your home, the more you're purifying the air inside your house. At night, the photosynthesis process stops until the next morning, which means that plants "breathe" just like humans during the evening, i.e. inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. However, there are some plants, like orchids, Gerber daisies and some bromelaids that continue to photosynthesize throughout the night. It's best to keep these plants in your bedroom so that you'll be breathing in pure air while you sleep.

Increased Mental Focus

According to a study at the Royal College of Agriculture in Circencester, England, students exhibit 70% more attentiveness when the classroom they're being taught in contains plants. The same study also asserts that students attended classes more frequently when there were plants in the room.

Overall Well-Being

Plants are ideal for keeping indoors because they give us something to maintain and nurture, especially if there are no pets in the home. This can help promote a sense of responsibility, especially in children. Indoor plants can also make you feel closer to nature, especially during the fall and winter.

Accelerated Healing Time

Besides the fact that they're beautiful, there's a reason that people bring plants to hospital patients. The oxygen that plants release can lower the blood pressure and reduce anxiety, which can result in shorter hospital stays according to a study conducted by Kansas State University.

Headache Reduction

The increased amount of oxygen in the air when you situate plants throughout your home can relieve pressure in the head that leads to headaches and migraines. The Agricultural University of Norway reports that having plants in the workplace reduced the incidences of employees getting sick or having symptoms like headaches and fatigue by 60%.

Allergy Prevention

Children with allergies who grow up with live plants in the home are exposed to more oxygen in the air, which can help them build up an immunity to their allergies. The plants work much like an allergy shot from the doctor, and are much safer for many children.

Dry Skin Elimination

Since plants make the air especially humid, they can help to treat dry skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis. Of course, there are even plants that can actually be used to treat dry skin, like aloe vera. Keeping an aloe plant in the home can help purify and humidify the air, and you can cut the leaves open to use the gel for treating scaly skin.

Keeping live plants in your home benefits your health, but also makes your home a pleasant place to spend time. They're usually easy to maintain, so there's really no reason why you shouldn't have at least a few strategically placed in your home.

Alissa Young loves writing - her favorite topics include home improvement and management, as well as interior and exterior design. She's always looking for ways to make home a nicer place to live in, and she loves sharing that knowledge with the rest of the world.