Whether it is the weather keeping you indoors or a busy schedule, fresh air is important to staying healthy. Plants do a great job of scrubbing the air and keeping the indoors fresh. Did you know…
• When you breathe, you take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. Plants take in carbon dioxide and expel oxygen.
• Plants act as natural humidifiers, which helps prevent respiratory problems. The Agricultural University of Norway conducted studies that found that having plants indoors decreases chances of dry skin, colds, sore throats and dry coughs.
• Plants clean the air. According to NASA, plants remove up to 87 percent of volatile organic compounds from the air. Things like cigarette smoke, chemicals found in grocery bags, carpets and printed papers give off chemicals; plants filter the chemicals out of the air.
• Plants help sick people get better. Researchers at Kansas State University found that in hospitals, patients with plants in their rooms request less pain medication, have lower hearts rates, lower blood pressure and experience less anxiety than those without plants.
• Plants help people stay focused, according to The Royal College of Agriculture in Circencester, England. Students were 70 percent more attentive when there were plants in the class room. In the same study, attendance was also higher for lectures with plants in the class room.
