Everyone loves plants! Some of us love them so much we make the effort to try to keep them alive inside! They make beautiful decorations and allow you to lord your green thumb around, but that’s not all they’re good for.
Brain, Body, and Beauty Boost
We all know eating plants has a glorious effect on our appearance and overall health, but did you know being around plants can too?
A Study done by Norwegian scientists published in 1998, placed a plant in 30 offices for a year while 30 offices were left without plants, and then switched the plants into the plant-less rooms for an additional year. During their extensive analysis and cross regressing from each group, here’s what they found:
- Brain: Neuropsychological symptoms were reduced by 23% when plants were present. Fatigue reduced the most – by 30%
- Body: Mucous membrane symptoms were reduced by 24% overall when plants were present. Cough decreased by 37% and dry throat by 25%
- Beauty: Dry or flushed skin was reduced by 23% with plants in the workspace The main cause for these boosts well as Psychological benefits.
Improved Air Quality
In 2004, plants shined in a laboratory test chamber in Milano, Italy. They were able to sequester and filter airborne benzene, a toxic carcinogenic chemical, from the chamber in a 24hr period. Plants are also famous for producing oxygen, as well as sequestering Carbon Dioxide out of the air, something so Valuable Elon Musk Is offering $100M for a scalable way to do it.
Stress Less
House plants are proven to decrease stress levels. In a study published by the Journal of Psychological Anthropology, researchers analyzed the cortisol levels of subjects at rest and then when potting a houseplant or doing a small computer task. The cortisol (hormone associated with stress) went up while people were using the computer, but lowered when potting the plant! The patient's state that the aesthetic of the plant greatly increased their mood!