Plants Great for Healing Hospital Patients

In case you think all this green talk about planting trees and preserving and creating more green spaces is a waste of time, you should know that plants are not only healthy for the planet, but are beneficial for human health too.Yes, we all know people need trees to breathe, but there are health benefits even beyond that.

A study published last year notes that a little green can help speed healing. The study, conducted by the Department of Horticulture, Forestry and Recreation Resources, Kansas State University, showed that patients recovering in rooms with potted plants or flowers, “Had significantly fewer intakes of postoperative analgesics, more positive physiological responses evidenced by lower systolic blood pressure and heart rate, lower ratings of pain, anxiety, and fatigue, and more positive feelings and higher satisfaction about their rooms” then patients without plants and flowers in their rooms.

Talk about a noninvasive, inexpensive, and effective complementary medicine for patients right!?

Plant benefits to humans don’t end there either. Some of the many other proven benefits to people having plants, trees, and green spaces nearby include…

• Less asthma in children
• Fewer incidences of obesity
• Healthier elderly individuals
• Healthier indoor air quality

Studies show that all sorts of green is healthy – plants, trees, flowers, any green. So if you’re looking for some easy green changes to make, grow some plants, plant some trees, or purchase some flowers for inside your home.

[image via stock.xchng]