Brilliant Corners: House Plants and Your Health

Although many of us cannot deny the emotional benefits of filling our house with various breathing green things, we usually do not see the house plant as something which can improve our physical well-being. Nonetheless low maintenance indoor plants can help to absorb carbon dioxide as well as possibly harmful chemicals such as those which come from paint, stoves, furniture, cleaners and the like.

Toxic chemicals like benzene, ammonia and trichloroethylene all come from these different products of modern living. Plants may be used purposely to upgrade the air quality in your house, improve energy as well as ease asthma symptoms. Here are some methods for putting plants to good use:

First of all, Put a Plant on Your Desk. If you wish to become more creative, productive as well as less fatigued while you are working, add some greenery to your office ASAP. Research Studies have proven that individuals who labor in front of computers in excess of 4 hours per day feel substantially better when they have a plant on their desk.

You can also bring Plants to an ill Friend: Hospital patients who have a view of nature often recover from their sickness faster than those who do not. Being surrounded by healthy plants is a superb way of improving mood as well as recovery speed.

Filter Your Indoor Air. Indoor air can be up to 10 times more polluted than outdoor air. According to NASA scientists, houseplants can extract volatile chemicals from the air acting as filters for the indoor area they inhabit. Plants such as palms, peace lilies, ferns, chrysanthemums, spider plants, and ivy are particularly effective for air purification.

Studies have shown that indoor plants reduce fatigue, coughs, sore throats and other cold symptoms by more than 30%.

So, spruce up your home and spruce up your health by investing in some family trees.

This article originally appeared in the March 2006 issue of the Zone Net Newsletter. Zonenet is a producer of Zone Diet Products