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The Infinite Benefits of Ornamental Plants
They beautify our house, yard, garden and life. Even for that, you should see in plants, and primarily in decorative plants, our most loyal and unselfish friends. The special respect which plants deserve to receive from people- and those are not exaggerated words or ideas- involves also an extremely important argument: plants contribute fully in keeping our health and healing our existing diseases.
The pitfalls of our own homes
About 10,000 liters of air pass daily throw the human lungs. Unfortunately, most often, and especially in urban areas, this air is polluted. At home, at the office, at school, we spend inside a building at least 15 hours of 24 and the problem is that pollution is higher in enclosed spaces than outdoors. Insulating foams, sticky substances, paints, decorative materials, the chipboards from which is made the furniture, maintenance products such as detergents, cigarette smoke- all these are the main sources of toxic substances that put our health in danger.
Possible side effects: respiratory disorders, skin irritation, headaches, and in some cases even cancer. Even regular ventilation of the house proves to be only partially effective in combating the negative side effects resulted from the contact with those substances. However, we have a redoubtable ally that never needs special investment, which does its duty without any pause: ornamental plants.
Experiments conducted at NASA, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, France, showed that a plant located in an interior fights as more against pollution as it is exposed to toxic substances. Here’s how it works such a “factory”! Pollutants are absorbed by leaves, then the microorganisms from roots use them by converting them into organic products which feed the plant. The plant emits water vapors, by sweating. The plants sweat represents fine drops which “capture” toxins and reduce by 20% the concentration of dust (and thus the allergen) and 50-60% of the germs and bacteria from a room.
In offices, in living rooms, the perfect ally is the cactus. Besides the fact that it reduces the static electricity (this attracts dust), it limits the harmful effects of electromagnetic waves emitted by television screens and computer monitors. Incomparably more agreeable and more useful than devices placed on radiators, plants raise humidity by 5-10%, reducing the feeling of discomfort from a house which is too dry. Also, according to a recent study, the installation of 10-15 plants in a room filled with offices, reduces with 40% the frequency of cough due to airway irritation, with 23% the dryness of eyes and with 20% the headaches of employees.
An infinite friendship
Plants fight also against allergies and respiratory problems, but only if the soil where they grow is not affected by molds. Thus, as more numerous are the healthy plants around us, as more we breathe better, fact that is available in all the rooms.
Contrary to preconceived opinions, it is not dangerous to sleep in a room where there are plants. If they eliminate a small quantity of carbonic gas (but not as much as another person or pet), they also produce oxygen in the same time.
Some of them, such as orchids and ‘juicy’ ornamental plants, produce more oxygen at night than during the day. As for the moral, the specialists said that our need for green is included in human genes. When we live in an environment increasingly urbanized, plants provide us a real source of vivacity and good mood. Even the social field enjoys the benefits of plants presence.
Numerous studies conducted in Norway, the Netherlands, U.S., companies, schools and hospitals, have shown that the simple presence of plants improves concentration, work effectiveness, stimulates creativity and also reduces the fatigue, stress, helping in recovery.
It is more than obvious that the first suggestion addressed to every man is to keep around him, in any circumstance, as much green friends as possible, which offer us health, without claiming anything in exchange.