{"id":6137,"date":"2022-02-15T14:44:50","date_gmt":"2022-02-15T14:44:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.growingrevolution.com\/?p=6137"},"modified":"2024-04-22T15:24:25","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T14:24:25","slug":"how-plants-promote-better-health-and-wellbeing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/growingrevolution.a1.bc-staging.com\/home\/2022\/02\/how-plants-promote-better-health-and-wellbeing\/","title":{"rendered":"How Plants Promote Better Health and Wellbeing"},"content":{"rendered":"

The relationship humans have with plants is so well-rooted there\u2019s even a name for it: Biophilia. Research has repeatedly shown that maintaining our biophilic relationship offers heaps of benefits for our health and wellbeing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientists in Oslo, Norway introduced plants into hospitals and discovered they helped to speed up patient recovery from major surgery and lessened their need for medication. The study also found real plants reduced staff absenteeism by 60% and reduced patients\u2019 fear of visits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\"table\n

With spring soon on the way, there\u2019s no better time to surround yourself with plants (though we would argue there\u2019s never a bad time to do so). Better yet, it has also been proven that the more plants we surround ourselves with, the more benefits there are to be gained. Let\u2019s take a look at what those benefits are.<\/span><\/p>\n

Plants support mental and physical health<\/span><\/h2>\n\"\"\n

Spending time around plants calms, uplifts and restores us. Plants raise wellbeing while at the same time lowering symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety. Studies have shown plants speed up recovery from mental fatigue and reduce high blood pressure. Injecting more greenery into our homes is more than a re-styling statement, it\u2019s a commitment to our health.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are even benefits to be gained from caring for plants. This responsibility not only gives our minds a much-needed break from the stresses of everyday life, it can offer a real sense of purpose, pride and achievement. It\u2019s highly satisfying to successfully nurture a plant from seed to flower or, when growing your own food, from plant to plate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Plants clean the air of toxins<\/span><\/h2>\n\"\"\n

Plants act as round-the-clock filters to clean the air we breathe\u2014both inside and outside of the home. By absorbing high levels of airborne toxins, plants then turn them into food to help them grow. Within 24 hours, plants will absorb high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)\u2014airborne toxins released from everyday plastics, carpets and furnishings. Even on imperceptible levels, air pollution causes illness, as well as symptoms of headache, sore eyes, nose and throat, or nausea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a not-so-fun fact:<\/b> levels of VOCs are usually higher indoors than outside\u2014even in city centres! Fortunately, plants have no saturation point: The more toxins there are, the faster the plants absorb them. Some plants even work overtime as they continue to absorb VOCs and other toxins at night, all the while producing fresh oxygen.<\/span><\/p>\n

NASA\u2019s study on indoor pollution revealed specific types of plants\u2014including peace lily and Chinese evergreen\u2014can clean the air more effectively than many air purifiers. Our list of <\/span>top 10 houseplants for indoor living walls<\/span><\/a> features 7 superstar air-scrubbers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaves trap airborne dust<\/span><\/h2>\n\"\"\n

Leaves go one step further in helping plants rid the air of pollutants by trapping airborne dust particles and absorbing the toxins they carry. These particles are not released back into the air. This removal can improve the humidity of a space and reduce respiratory problems for its occupants<\/span><\/p>\n

Fresh oxygen increases concentration and productivity<\/span><\/h2>\n\"\"\n

Fresh air not only improves our health but increases our concentration and productivity. How this happens is amazingly simple. Plants produce fresh oxygen by absorbing carbon dioxide via photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide, produced from our breathing, is a well known cause of drowsiness and concentration loss. Plants therefore encourage more effortless brain activity, allowing for a greater capacity to maintain concentration and to better perform tasks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Plants scent a space<\/span><\/h2>\n\"\"\n

Did you know the fragrance of flowers alone can make you feel better? Plant perfume is able to ease migraines and headaches, while generating positive moods and promoting mental functioning. Plants such as lavender can promote calm and wellness, even helping to aid sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

Plant-powdered nutrition<\/span><\/h2>\n\"a\n

Growing your own food is an excellent (and delicious) way to support your health and wellbeing\u2014you can\u2019t get more freshly picked than by your own hand! No nutritional value is lost from your home-grown crop as there is no wait between harvesting, shipping, storage, the supermarket shelf and your plate. Not only that, the more diverse your crop is, the more diverse the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants you benefit from.<\/span><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need a huge amount of space\u2014a kitchen surface, beside the back door or an unused windowsill can all be turned into a personal fresh food aisle. There are lots of delicious fruits, veggies and herbs that make great home-grown crops, many of which are suitable for first-time growers and provide delicious, fresh flavour to your favourite dishes. Simply let your taste buds be your planting guide. Read our <\/span>Top 5 Reasons to Grow Your Own Food<\/span><\/a> to get started.<\/span><\/p>\n

No garden? No problem!<\/span><\/h2>\n\"\"\n

We understand that traditional planting isn\u2019t always practical. A PlantBox living wall packs heaps of plants into even the most space-restricted homes and makes looking after them ultra-easy\u2014go weeks between watering and know when to top up\u2014and helps plants to thrive, whether indoors or outdoors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just as surrounding yourself with plants supports your health and wellbeing, PlantBox helps to support the health and wellbeing of the planet. A <\/span>RHS Chelsea Sustainable Garden Product of the Year 2021 Finalist<\/span><\/a>, PlantBox is made from 100% recycled materials and is designed to best fit your home. 1% of PlantBox sales is pledged to 1% For The Planet, a global organisation that supports non-profits who are tackling our most pressing environmental issues. Join the growing revolution for a greener future! <\/span>Find out more.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Banner photo credit: Simon Orchard Garden Design<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The relationship humans have with plants is so well-rooted there\u2019s even a name for it: Biophilia. Research has repeatedly shown that maintaining our biophilic relationship offers heaps of benefits for our health and wellbeing.\u00a0 Scientists in Oslo, Norway introduced plants into hospitals and discovered they helped to speed up patient recovery from major surgery and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":6139,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-be-inspired"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/growingrevolution.a1.bc-staging.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/growingrevolution.a1.bc-staging.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/growingrevolution.a1.bc-staging.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/growingrevolution.a1.bc-staging.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/growingrevolution.a1.bc-staging.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6137"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/growingrevolution.a1.bc-staging.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8873,"href":"https:\/\/growingrevolution.a1.bc-staging.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6137\/revisions\/8873"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/growingrevolution.a1.bc-staging.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/growingrevolution.a1.bc-staging.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/growingrevolution.a1.bc-staging.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/growingrevolution.a1.bc-staging.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}