Health benefits of indoor plants

There are numerous reasons to include plants in your space, but did you know that one of them is the health benefits?

From purifying the air to reducing stress, filling your home with houseplants is an easy way to increase happiness and promote a healthier life.

For those looking for even more reasons to grow their plant collection, here’s how adding fresh greens to your home can benefit your health.

Plants reduce stress

In 2010, a Japanese study examined the effects of Shinrin-yoga or "forest bath". The study concluded that spending time in nature reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and has an overall soothing effect on the body. However, most of us spend 85% of our time indoors and can not wander in the woods every day.

Fortunately, houseplants are an easy way to bring outdoors and reap the restorative, calming effects of nature. A study published in the journal Physiology Anthropology shows that active interactions with houseplants such as pruning, touching, and smell have the same soothing and stress-reducing effects as spending time in the forest.

So next time when you are stressed, overweight, or in a bad mood, go and spend time enjoying your plants!

Plants improve air quality

NASA's prestigious air purification study found that one of the most significant benefits of indoor plants is their ability to improve the quality of the surrounding air. Plants not only increase oxygen in our homes, but their root systems are incredibly effective in removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

VOCs such as benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene are found in everyday items such as paint, carpets, and plastics. NASA has found that houseplants act as natural air purifiers and can remove 87% of toxins in a day.

Plants increase productivity and creativity

Who doesn’t want to get more every day? One of the lesser-known health benefits of having indoor plants is that they enhance cognitive function. According to a Texas A&M study, having indoor plants in the workplace greatly improves idea development, solves creative problems, and increases concentration.

A similar study from the University of Michigan shows that being around plants increases memory by up to 20%! If you feel uninterested or have difficulty concentrating, adding some plants to your office or studio should open up your next best idea.