HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-05-05, Page 13Indoor plants a panacea
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A cure for what ails you
Indoor plants are known for providing oxygen, combating loneliness and even provide
medicinal benefits, however that only scratches the surface. Plants can filter chemicals out of
the air, increase oxygen in a home and can help combat stress. (Ms photo)
MS — Gardening is a rewarding
hobby that can pay a host of
dividends, both for the planet and
the people doing the gardening.
Healthy plant life can help clean the
air by absorbing carbon dioxide and
various air pollutants, while the act
of gardening can help gardeners
combat stress.
Published in 2011 in the Journal
of Health Psychology, a study from
researchers in the Netherlands found
that gardening promotes relief from
acute stress. In the study, two groups
of participants were asked to
complete a stressful task and then
instructed to either read indoors or
garden outdoors for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, the latter group
had lower levels of the stress
hormone cortisol and even
reported being in a better mood
than the group instructed to
read indoors.
But gardening does more than just
provide gardeners with a reason to
spend some time relaxing outdoors
in an effort to relieve stress.
Gardeners who raise certain plants
may be able to bring those benefits
with them when going inside as
well.
According to an article published
in the journal Environmental Health
Perspectives in October, 2011,
houseplants can work wonders when
it comes to improving overall health,
removing toxins from air, soil and
water by metabolizing some toxic
chemicals and releasing harmless
byproducts while sequestering such
toxins by incorporating them into
plant tissues.
Clean indoor air is important for
everyone, but especially so for those
people who suffer from respiratory
ailments like asthma. In fact, indoor
air filtration is considered an
essential part of any strategy to
improve respiratory health. But
filtration systems and air purifiers
are often not enough, and those who
want the air in their homes to be as
clean as possible may benefit from
introducing certain houseplants into
their homes. The following are a
handful of plants that can help to
improve indoor air quality:
• Aloe vera: Aloe vera might be
most often associated with hand
creams and hand soaps, but the aloe
vera plant, a succulent that even
novice gardeners should have no
problem growing, can clear indoor
air of formaldehyde and benzene,
two common byproducts of
chemical -based cleaners many
people use in their homes.
• Spider plant: Spider plants are
resilient, and that makes them great
houseplants for busy men and
women who tend to be forgetful
when caring for their plants. In
addition, spider plants are pet -
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• English ivy: NASA researchers
exploring the possibilities of long-
term space habitation found that
certain houseplants were more
effective at cleaning air inside
energy-efficient, non -ventilated
buildings than others. One such
plant was English ivy, which can
effectively combat the formaldehyde
found in certain household cleaning
products.
• Bamboo palm: Bamboo palms
also found their way onto NASA's
list. Bamboo palm plants thrive
indoors, where they are especially
effective at filtering out the
chemicals benzene and
trichloroethylene.
Gardening has been proven to be a
soothing hobby that can help
gardeners reduce stress. But the
health benefits of gardening can
extend indoors as well.
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016. PAGE 13.
PAUL COOK
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