Health Gem

IF YOU DO ONE THING THIS WEEK . . . INVEST IN AN INDOOR PLANT

THEY MIGHT look like they are doing nothing – sitting in the corner, providing a landing platform for the odd insect or bungee point for a spider. But don’t be fooled by their idle appearance – indoor plants can offer some basic health benefits.Simply having a plant nearby could buoy up your mood, especially if you are female, according to one Japanese study on the subject.

Inspired by findings that views of nature can reduce stress and help patients recover, researchers asked 90 undergraduate students to carry out tasks in a room containing a magazine rack, a potted plant or neither of those objects. They found that female participants in particular reported a better mood when the plant was in the room. Keeping indoor plants could also help to clean up the atmosphere in your house. More than 20 years ago, tests by Nasa and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America showed many potted houseplants could remove trace contaminants from the air.

CLAIRE O’CONNELL