4 Benefits of Maintaining Plants in Homes for Health

Medical Video: House Plants Make for Healthy and Happy Homes

Most home plants are preserved as decorations, without many knowing that maintaining plants at home also has health benefits. Basically, plants are producers of oxygen, even so house plants that are relatively small in size. Some types of home plants also function to maintain air quality around the house.

1. The presence of plants at home helps us breathe

Humans breathe by inhaling oxygen and emitting carbon dioxide, but plants with photosynthesis do the opposite. This is the main advantage of maintaining plants around or inside the house.

However, keep in mind that plants need enough light from sunlight to maximize photosynthesis. This process of photosynthesis stops at night where almost all plants begin to breathe oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Then it will be dangerous if we fall asleep around the plants at night, except for some special plants such as orchids, cactus-like plants (succulent), and other epiphytic plants continue to absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen at night. Therefore, storing these types of plants in the room will remain safe and can produce oxygen even at night.

2. Plants can clean the house air

Pollutants can spread everywhere, especially in open spaces, and do not rule out the possibility that air pollutants can enter the house. Besides the presence of pollutants, a decrease in air quality in the home can also be caused by other chemicals from household appliances. Research by NASA shows that plants can clean the air in the room by capturing various particles of pollutants in the air. This is also supported by further research which found that plants can reduce ozone gas levels which are released by household and office electronics.

One that reduces air quality in the house is contaminants volatile organic compounds (VOC) released by household appliances such as cleaning plastic, building materials and paint. VOC does not cause symptoms of poisoning in the short term but can lead to asthma and cancer in a long time. One study showed that there were significant differences in VOC levels between rooms without plants and with plants, amounting to 933 and 249 μg / m. This shows that plants can improve air quality in the room.

Based on the research, the types of plants chosen as air purifiers in the room include Spider Plant, Betel Ivory, and In-laws. The plant was chosen because the treatment is easy to put inside the house. To clean the air in an open room, try plants like Azalea, Peace Lily, and English Ivy vines. NASA also recommends placing indoor air purifier plants every 30 square meters around the house.

3. Reducing the risk of respiratory tract disorders

Respiratory tract disorders are closely related to air quality, one of which is the amount of dust particles in the air. The occurrence of respiratory tract disorders begins with the entry of germs along with dust particles that cause infection or trigger the occurrence of asthma. This can easily occur in environments with low humidity. Plants stored in the house can also reduce dust particles by increasing humidity, through evaporation of water from roots or soil stored in plant pots.

One study has shown that with hanging plants, this can reduce dust levels in the room by up to 30% in about three months. Plants themselves, in general, contribute water content to the air layer up to 10%.

4. Plants can improve a person's psychological condition

Being in a garden or room that has plants will calm your mind and improve your mood. According to the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA), there are several benefits of maintaining plants at home against a person's psychological and cognitive conditions, including:

Increase self-confidence
Reducing stress and anxiety
Feel fitness
Helps calm the mind and create optimism
Increase concentration and focus
Improve the ability to remember

This is supported by a study that shows the effect of improving mood and performance when someone works in a room decorated with plants, compared to individuals who work in rooms that do not have plants. The benefits of gardening activities also improve social health by encouraging someone to work together and socialize with others.

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