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Why indoor plants are a necessity for apartment dewellers

Apartment living is having a negative effect on out wellbeing.
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While apartment living has become a necessity for many, thereโ€™s a chance itโ€™s having a negative effect on our wellbeing.

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According to an article published on The Conversation, moving away from nature into urban environments has been linked with a rapid increase in chronic disease.

RELATED: Three plants to put in your bedroom for a better nightโ€™s sleep

โ€œIn the past children grew up running on bare soil and grass, explored backyard farms and gardens, climbed trees and were exposed to a high level of bacteria,โ€ writes Danica-Lea Larcombe, PhD Candidate in Biodiversity and Human Health, Edith Cowan University.โ€

โ€œThe microbiota is the community of bacteria, fungi and viruses that live in our gut and on our skin. We need a diverse exposure for our body to fight inflammation effectively.โ€

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Thatโ€™s where plants come in.

โ€œThe bacteria we have are similar to those of plants in that we both carry trillions of good and bad bacteria,โ€ Danica-Lea explains. โ€œThe diversity of the microbiota is measured by how many families of bacteria are present.

โ€œWe know the diverse plant microbiome influences plant growth, and humans benefit by eating plant foods.

โ€œAn important research question remains: do we gain another benefit simply by having contact with plants?โ€

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RELATED: 5 plants that will grow better in your bathroom

There are a number of benefits to having plants around your apartment.

First of all, they remove carbon dioxide and other chemicals from the air and release oxygen.

As Danica-Lea points out, โ€œHigher oxygen levels inside a small apartment mean well-being may be improved for the occupants.โ€

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Additionally, Dr Fraser Torpy, director of the University of Technology Sydney Plants and Indoor Environmental Quality Research Group told the ABC: โ€œA medium-sized plant (anything above about 20cm) in a room will make really big reductions in chemicals.โ€

Three plants for your apartment

Peace lily

Danica-Lea says, โ€œPeace Lily will reduce many toxins such as benzene, ammonia, acetone and ethyl and will prevent toxins from spreading between rooms in the apartment.โ€

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Aloe vera and Mother-in-Lawโ€™s Tongue

โ€œThese plants placed in the bedroom emit oxygen, which improves sleep quality.โ€

Gerbera Daisy 

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โ€œIf placed in the laundry these plants remove formaldehyde and benzene from the air, which are in common household detergents.โ€

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