Turns out, fresh flowers do more than just look beautiful

Research shows that having plants and flowers around us is actually good medicine.

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We all enjoy having fresh flowers around. It turns out they don’t just look pretty and smell nice … they’re actually good for us, too.

Plants and bouquets of flowers can also make us feel less stressed out, according to a study published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine. The study gave college-aged women a fresh vase of roses for their dorm rooms, and the results found the participants feeling more relaxed and stress-free than before.

Another study by the American Society for Horticulture Science looked to see if plants and flowers have any positive impact on us. Ninety surgical patients were split into two sections, one with plants and flowers and one without. The results showed a big difference. The study found that those who were exposed to plants and flowers had lower blood pressure and heart rate. If they were experiencing pain or anxiety, fatigue or depression, they had more positive feelings and less pain than before.

The patients in the room with no plants or flowers showed no improvement in any of these areas, giving a clear indication that plants and flowers did improve the patient’s mental and physical well-being.

So there seems to be good reason to not only consider plants and flowers as part of standard care for patients and those with depression, stress, or anxiety — but to fill our homes and offices with them, too!