10 Houseplants That Can Actually Improve Your Health

Adding a houseplant or two always seems to improve the look of a room. But as it turns out, certain houseplants can also improve your health.

According to recent studies by NASA, some houseplants filter out dangerous compounds that are commonly found in most homes – the kind of compounds that are often associated with respiratory illnesses, cancer, and other conditions.

Because they are enclosed spaces, our homes are vulnerable to gaseous toxins that build up over time. These include:

Benzene – Caused by paints, detergents, and furniture wax
Formaldehyde – Caused by disinfectants or preservatives in consumer products
Toluene and Xylene – Caused by a variety of household and consumer products
Ammonia – Caused by commonly used aerosols and spray

But 10 NASA-approved houseplants are said to be effective in removing air pollutants:

English Ivy – A trailing ivy plant that requires partial shade and light weekly watering
Florist’s chrysanthemum – A lovely floral that needs direct light and frequent change of water
Peace Lily – Produces small, white flowers; needs weekly watering, but consider carefully before buying, because this plant can be poisonous to house pets
Variegated snake plant – Has tall, broad, green and white leaves; requires partial shade and weekly watering
Red-edged dracaena – Almost cactus-like in appearance, this plant needs direct sunlight and weekly watering
Cornstalk dracaena – Produces cornstalk-type leaves; wants partial shade and weekly watering
Broadleaf lady palm – Fern-like plant that likes partial shade and weekly watering
Flamingo lily – Also known as anthurium, this plant produces shiny red flowers and requires partial shade and weekly watering
Devil’s ivy – Produces luxurious ivy leaves, likes partial shade, and needs only monthly watering
Lilyturf – Produces purple flowers; requires partial shade and weekly watering

Take note: Water lightly in most cases, as over-watering can cause root rot and kill the plant.