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Indoor plants have been used as design elements in our homes and they definitely bring life and beauty to our environment. But bringing Mother Nature into our homes does more than just give us the aesthetics we crave; it can give us health benefits as well.

We live in a world of better insulated buildings and if you cannot open a window everyday, such as in an office building, then having lots of plants is a must. Here is why!

It is known that plants give off oxygen during day light hours (and gives off a smaller amount of Carbon Dioxide at night), but a lesser known fact is that ordinary household plants absorb toxins from the air such as mold, formaldehyde and benzene.

NASA did a 2 year study on plants to see the effect that plants would have in a space station. What they discovered can be beneficial to home owners everywhere. Although all plants can filter pollutants to some degree, some plants have superior filtering capabilities. Some plants can even filter more of a specific toxin, for example, some plants are better at removing benzene and others at formaldehyde.

The majority of indoor plants are tropical or sub-tropical. The reason for this is because they do well in low light. In the rain forest these plants are scattered underneath tall trees and must survive in these conditions.

Something unique about these plants is that they have learned to adapt in our increasingly toxic environment and actually absorb these gases and convert them to food for themselves. This is done through the leaves, and even the roots in the soil learn to use these micro organisms as they are exposed to it more and more.

Here is a list of some of the best plants to have in your home for filtering pollutants:

Palms trees, especially Bamboo or Reed Palms
Boston Fern
Corn Plant
Snake Plant
Spider Plant
English Ivy
Peace Lily
Philodendrons
Dracaena
Ficus
Chinese Evergreen

On the down side some of these plants are poisonous to people and animals if ingested. These plants should be kept out of reach to children and animals:

English Ivy
Philodendrons

For any home that is under 2000 sq. ft, it is recommended that you have anywhere from 15 to 20 plants. Research has shown that when you have an abundance of plants in the home or office, you can have up to 60% less pollutants in the air. That is significant!

Another benefit to having plants in the home is that they also give off negative ions. Research has shown that negative ions affect serotonin in the brain, (the feel good chemical) and that oxygen flow increases throughout the body. Research done at the University of California showed that high doses of negative ions produced as much as 25% more productivity in the work environment. Negative ion therapy has also successfully treated depression.

Something as simple as adding plants to your indoor environment can give you not only aesthetics, but health benefits as well. Put Mother Nature back into your home or office and enjoy!