Science-Backed Benefits of Indoor Plants

Indoor gardening is still enjoying a surge in popularity and fed by Instagram’s greenery-inspired interior designs. Not only do indoor plants make for beautiful home decor but they may also boost your health and well-being. Research suggests that we spend more than 85 percent of our lives indoors and houseplants are an easy way to bring nature into your house.

Boost Productivity

A bromeliad may turn out to be the best cubicle-mate. Multiple studies have found that plants in the workspace increase productivity a lot. One frequently cited study in 1996 found that students in a campus computer lab worked 12 percent faster and were less stressed when plants were placed nearby.

Reduce Stress

A study found that caring for indoor plants reduced psychological and physiological stress for study participants. Interacting with plants help suppress sympathetic nervous system activity and diastolic blood pressure. Participants report feelings of comfort when working with plants versus working on a computer.

Better Digestion

Mint helps to tamp down bloating, gas and other problems after you eat. Common varieties you can grow in your house include peppermint and spearmint. Basil is another herb for cooking, also can help calm your stomach. Try steeping mint leaves in hot water.

Sharpen Attention

Researchers put students in a classroom with either a fake plant, a real one, a picture of a plant or no plant at all. Brain scans of the participants showed that the students who studied with real, live plants in the classroom were more attentive and better able to concentrate than students in the other groups of an institute.

Plants for Moisture

Furnaces and air conditioners can sap humidity indoors, especially in the winter season. That can raise your chances for catching a cold or the flu or make skin itch. Houseplants add moisture to the air.

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