Ever wonder why you feel so good when you look at a Christmas tree? It may be more than just fond memories as we uncover the many benefits of plants in this blog.
Indoor plants clean the air we breathe by absorbing toxins like carbon dioxide and emit oxygen in return. In fact, NASA found that common house plants could remove up to 87% of air toxicity in only 24 hours! Another study in Norway discovered that plants can reduce fatigue, coughs, sore throats and other cold related illnesses by more than 30% by increasing humidity and decreasing dust.
Additional healing benefits were discovered by an MD in Chicago who noticed that hospital patients with a garden view recovered more quickly than those who had to look at a wall. Even just one glance at a plant has been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce muscular tension related to stress.
The advantages of plants continue at the workplace by helping people to relax and focus. One company added plants so that employees were no more than 45 feet from greenery. As a result, administrators noticed production, creativity and problem solving increased.
With windows closed and heaters on air can become stagnant and toxic this season; but keep in mind that indoor plants are a simple and beautiful solution that can even decrease your stress!
Just for the record, the healing benefits mentioned in your article were not discovered by an MD in Chicago, but by Roger Ulrich: Ulrich, Roger S. (1984). "View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery." Science, Vol. 224, No. 4647, April 27, pp. 420-421.
ReplyDeleteThis pivotal study is one of the most frequently-cited, by scholars and laypeople alike. Many people credit Ulrich's publishing of this study with the birth of the field of evidence-based design (EBD). Two groups of patients recovering from gall bladder surgery were compared. The group with a view of nature, rather than of a brick wall, logged fewer nurses complaints, needed less pain medication, and recovered more quickly.
- Naomi Sachs, Director, Therapeutic Landscapes Network, http://www.healinglandscapes.org