from: https://theamericanhouse.com/768/yahoo/1114794/20014/best-indoor-plants-for-respiratory-problems
The 10 best indoor plants that do a great job for your lungs reducing respiratory
problems, so start growing them right away!
- Spider Plant
Spider plants work as an antioxidant as they successfully eliminate harsh chemicals found in
furniture and cleaning products such as benzene, xylene, formaldehyde and ammonia. This indoor
plant is pretty easy to grow and improves air quality immediately. According to this study made by
NASA, the spider plant can remove up to 90% of the indoor air pollutants in just two days. Amazing,
isn’t it?
So, if you’re struggling with asthma or allergies, consider purchasing some indoor plants. If you
already own a few, you’re already one step ahead. Research suggests that older plants are actually
doing a better job purifying the indoor air and processing out pollutants — so take care of your
plants, and they will take care of you. - Snake Plant
The Snake Plant is extremely effective at absorbing harsh chemicals such as benzene,
formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide —all of these chemicals can cause nose and throat irritation
— and other harsh pollutants found in indoor air. It also produces oxygen while absorbing CO2 at
night and has been shown to help with airborne allergies.
A study made at Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand confirms that the snake plant can
absorb CO2 in a closed system at 0.49 ppm/m3.
Also known as Mother-in-Law’s Tongue in different parts of the world, this indoor plant is very easy
to take care of. They grow in both low and full light conditions and don’t need a lot of water. As a
result, the snake plant is definitely ideal for beginners. - Peace Lily
The peace lily does an excellent job of preventing many respiratory and lung issues. According to
one Japanese study, this indoor plant absorbs volatile organic compounds — also known as VOCs
— through its leaves just as well as golden pothos. It also absorbs acetone, which can cause
fatigue, hypotension, and slurred speech.
Even the NASA study mentioned earlier has found that peace lilies are quite effective at removing
pollutants from the air. They absorb the chemicals from the air through their leaves sending them to
their roots, where microbes found in the soil break them.
This indoor plant can even absorb mold spores as food! This makes the peace lily very useful in
areas with high humidity, such as bathrooms because it keeps the mold at bay. - Rubber Plant
Rubber plants are very good at improving indoor air quality because they produce more chlorophyll
than other indoor plants, which means more oxygen. Allergies, asthma, illness and frequent
headaches are some of the issues caused by airborne particles in your house. According to the
same NASA study, rubber plants also remove toluene, xylene, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde,
all of which are the main drivers of indoor air pollution.
They can eliminate up to 90% of the chemicals found in your home in just two days! The leaves grow
pretty fast and contribute to the absorption of toxic substances like mold and other allergens,
making it an ideal plant for those who struggle with common dust allergies. - Cascade Palm
Two of the main pollutants found in your house — toluene and xylene — can have some serious
negative impacts on your health. For instance, xylene can cause headaches, and dizziness, but also
nose, eye, and throat irritation while toluene can cause tiredness.
Since these two airborne particles are so harmful to human health, it’s fantastic that the areca
palm keeps them at bay. If you want to improve the quality of the air you breathe, you should
definitely grow this indoor plant!
Not only will you have these two chemicals removed from your house, but you’ll also breathe
fresher air because cascade palm adds moisture to the air preventing it from getting dry. - Aloe Vera
A lot of people already own aloe vera in their homes since it has a great healing ability. But this
indoor plant is also excellent when it comes to improving the air quality. In the same study made by
NASA, it has been shown that aloe vera removes formaldehyde and benzene, two main VOCs found
in a typical house.
The plant was proven to be very effective in constantly filtering out formaldehyde. Even though it’s
pretty simple to maintain an aloe vera, don’t worry if you see some brown spots on your plant. This
doesn’t mean it will die, but the opposite. Those brown spots are the sign that your aloe vera
absorbs a high level of benzene, so the plant acts as a natural air purifier. - Pothos Plant
According to recent research, the pothos plant — also known as pothos ivy or devil’s ivy —can filter
the surrounding air from toxins and volatile organic compounds. Some reputable institutions have
even ranked the pothos plant as the best air-purifying indoor plant since it can remove benzene,
toluene, and carbon monoxide from the ambient air.
If your house is located in an industrial area or near a busy road, your indoor air has a high amount
of pollutants. This means you’re constantly inhaling those toxins which can seriously affect your
health. But your green pal pothos plant can rescue you.
Tip: The pothos plant does best in medium sunlight, but it will withstand very low light as well. - English Ivy
Many studies have shown that English ivy is one of the top air-purifying plants out there. It’s very
effective in removing many VOCs like toluene, benzene, trichloroethylene and octane. It’s also a
great plant that improves respiratory health, particularly for people who struggle with asthma or
allergies.
Other studies concluded that English ivy can decrease the number of mold particles which can be
seen as black and green spots showing up in the damp corners of your home. They can be quite
harmful to people who suffer from mold allergies.
This plant also has one of the greatest transpiration rates boosting the humidity levels of a room. It
minimizes the amount of carbon monoxide which improves the quality of the air you breathe. - Areca Palm
This indoor plant was part of the research made by NASA as well, where it showed an incredible
potential to remove carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde from the surrounding air,
which are quite dangerous to lung health.
According to another research published this year, the areca palm does a great job removing
acetaldehyde, a biomarker responsible for acute respiratory distress syndrome. Also known as
ARDS, this life-threatening condition can cause breathing problems by allowing fluid to leak into the
lungs.
If you struggle with asthma or respiratory issues and you’re worried that the air you breathe isn’t
helping you at all, get yourself an areca palm! - Eucalyptus
Everyone knows that drinking lots of fluids and sipping some chicken soup may ease symptoms of
flu or cold-related illness. What if we told you there’s another way to relieve those symptoms?
Hanging a bundle of eucalyptus in your bathroom provides an aromatherapeutic addition to your
shower routine since the essential oils of the herb are released by the steam and heat. But this
indoor plant doesn’t just smell good. The anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties found in
eucalyptus’ natural oils can help reduce congestion and beat back colds. The tannins found in the
eucalyptus plant also increase healthy fluids in the body’s respiratory system.
