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The Health Benefits of House Plants, Including the Top Nine Healthiest Plants!
by SixWise.com


House Plants do more than just brighten up a room with color and living energy. Along with being pleasing to the eye, they bring real health benefits to your body. Not only do complaints about headaches, stress, heart/circulation-symptoms and colds decrease when indoor plants are present, according to Dr. Leona Rogler in "The comprehensive office series," but also richly decorating a room with plants can help to keep the air clean.

This Mother Fern, one of the best at purifying the air, is a very popular houseplant because it is easy to care for, thrives in indirect light and with little moisture, and is very attractive. Read more about the Mother Fern now, including how to order one that can grow to 4' tall at a great price now!

Top 9 Air Purifying Plants

The following plants are most effective in removing potentially harmful chemicals-including those in paints, varnishes, dry cleaning fluids, car exhaust fumes and tobacco smoke-from the air in your home.

  • Dragon tree
  • Ivy
  • Ficus
  • Philodendrons
  • Spider plants
  • Peace lilies
  • Ferns
  • Chrysanthemums
  • Palms

House Plants Clean the Air

If you read Self-Assessment to Determine if You May Have Biological Pollutants in Your Home, then you know how important indoor air quality can be, and how widespread indoor air contamination really is.

The good news is that a classic NASA study found that common house plants could improve air quality. In fact, they reported that houseplants were able to remove up to 87 percent of air toxins in 24 hours. The recommendation? Use 15 to 18 "good-sized" house plants in 6- to 8-inch diameter containers for an 1,800 square-foot house.

Plants can remove a variety of toxic air emissions including ammonia, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, benzene, xylene and trichloroethytene. See the box above for some of the best plant varieties to choose, and remember-the healthier the plant, the more purifying it will be.

An excellent resource for anyone who's serious about using plants to their clean air advantage is How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants That Purify Your Home or Office.

Plants Make You Happy

House plants make people feel calmer and more optimistic, says Bruno Cortis, M.D., a Chicago cardiologist. Interestingly, he says that studies have shown that hospital patients who face a window with a garden view recovered more quickly than those who had to look at a wall.

Plants Fight Fatigue and Colds

According to a University of Agriculture in Norway study, indoor plants can reduce fatigue, coughs, sore throats and other cold-related illnesses by more than 30 percent, partially by increasing humidity levels and decreasing dust.

Plants at the Office

Even major corporations and work environments are beginning to catch on that adding plants indoors does wonders for employee health and morale. According to one study published in Rehabilitation Literature, a manufacturing company integrated plants into its office so that no employee would be more than 45 feet from greenery. The result? Company administrators said they noticed enhanced creativity and increased productivity in employees.

The Dragon Tree plant is one of the most effective in removing harmful impurities from the air. Plus, its exotic looks adds character to any room.

Read More &
Order a Dragon Tree Now

Of course, some plants are poisonous and should be handled with care, or not at all if you have small children. For a list of potentially hazardous house plants, especially for children, see The 10 Most Common Poisons Among Kids. By using a little caution with the plants you choose, you can enjoy all the benefits that adding plants to your home will bring.


Sources

Plants Provide Health Benefits, Studies Show

Plants for People

Healthiest Houseplants

Clean Air House Plants

Think Green in Your Home Office

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