Functional medicine doctors incorporate “green” or plants often into their protocols. Many nutraceuticals rely on herbal and botanical ingredients with phytomedicine at the forefront of their research. Plants have a profound effect on healing the body when used in nutrition, but did you know surrounding your home or office with the right “greenery” can increase well-being as well?
Treating the whole person means we look after the body, emotional health, and spiritual health. Simply adding the right type of plants into your environment can have positive impacts on health.
4 Beneficial Health Impacts of Indoor Plants:
1- Improved air quality
Plants can remove toxins from indoor air and replace CO2 with Oxygen.
2- Improved attention and concentration
Studies have found that green environments may help restore concentration, even in children with ADHD.
3- Increased humidity
Plants can increase indoor humidity, which is good for our respiratory system. Increased humidity can keep mucous membranes moist to help combat bacteria, viruses, and allergens.
4- Decreases stress and anxiety
A 2015 study found that indoor plants reduced stress in study participants. Interacting with plants helped suppress sympathetic nervous system activity and diastolic blood pressure.
Great “Greenery” to add to your Indoor Space:
Dracaena The ‘Janet Craig’ variety of Dracaena deremensis removes almost 79% of benzene from the air.
Aloe vera plants have medicinal properties and can help heal cuts, burns, and other skin ailments.
Snake plants remove air pollutants like benzene formaldehyde, and to a lesser extent, trichloroethylene.
Golden pothos filters formaldehyde and TCE from the surrounding air. Studies have indicated that it removes 73% of benzene from the air, and still performs well without its full foliage.
Spider plants have been shown to remove toxins from indoor air, including particulate matter, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, carbon oxide, ozone, xylene, benzene, toluene, cigarette smoke, and ammonia.
Ferns have strong air purification qualities, specifically when removing formaldehyde. The Boston fern has also shown to be a strong proponent for removing carbon dioxide from its indoor environment.
English Ivy removes the highest percentage of benzene from the air, at nearly 90%.
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