Live green to prevent and reduce heart and lung disease: Dr.S.S.Sibia

Ludhiana, July 5, 2018: Dr.S.S.Sibia, Director, Sibia Medical Centre, Ludhiana, has said that air pollution causes diseases of the heart, lungs, brain stroke, eye irritation, headache and even cancer. According to World Health Organization air pollution kills 7 million deaths every year. NASA research shows plants can help in this by providing oxygen rich toxin free good air to breathe which is the basic necessity of life. Modern day air-conditioning has banned fresh air entry indoor and we are spending more time in the indoor environment and less under the open sky.

Plants look lovely, provide nourishment and are effective to improve the environment. As we spend most of our time at home or office, indoor plants can help us keep healthy. Indoor plants can be categorized into those good for the living room, those good for the bed room.

The best bedroom plant is the mother-in-law’s tongue also called the snake plant as it converts Carbon dioxide to Oxygen even at night. It also filters out toxic formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, toluene and benzene from the air. Mother-in-law’s tongue doesn't require much maintenance and can stay alive with little water, sun and humidity.

Good plants for the lobby include Areca Palm, Money plant, Spider Plant, Fern and Bamboo palm. Areca Palm removes Carbon dioxide and converts it to Oxygen. It releases copious amount of moisture in the air and also absorbs several chemicals in the surrounding air.

Money plant is the easiest house plant to grow. Its heart-shaped leaves do not lose color in darkness and look pleasant. Money plant is shade loving and simple cut branches can easily grow in water alone. It grows quickly, is highly resistant to insect infections and tackles harmful gases very well.

Spider plant is named after its spider-like features. It is a good plant good for a bright, sunny room without requiring much attention. It filters the indoor air and removes benzene, carbon monoxide and xylene from the air.

Ferns offer beauty and healthy benefits but require a little more maintenance. They are worth the maintenance because they remove more formaldehyde than any other plant. These plants act as humidifiers to help restore moisture in the air and are perfect for dry skin and other cold weather problems.

Bamboo palm doesn't require much sunlight and is a natural humidifier. It detoxifies, is beneficial for the areas which have dry air and is said to bring home good luck.

“To create your perfect green haven choose the right plants, clean the leaves regularly and beware of too much or too little watering. Keep a lookout for warning signs such as leaf burn, spotting or sudden leaf-fall”, said Dr.Sibia. He opined keep the plants outdoor from time to time depending on the variety of the plants and the amount of natural light they are getting.
“We should treat the plants as a living person – be grateful and thank them for providing us a healthy clean environment and thank nature for providing us the plants”, he further said.

During a visit to Sibia Medical Centre, Ludhiana, `City Air News’ observed that the entire premises was giving an aesthetic look because pots carrying various plants were seen placed in almost every nook and corner. Most of these plants were mother-in-law’s tongue also called the snake plant.

On being asked, Dr Sibia told that he used to guide his patients and all other visitors to keep plants such as mother-in-law’s tongue at their respective homes. “This practice not only gives one’s home an aesthetic look and takes one near to the nature but it is also useful in dealing with menace of air pollution and many more”, he opines.

When asked, Dr. Sibia told that a few years ago he found some videos related to some such as mother-in-law’s tongue following which he did further studies. He observed that these plants have a great importance in lives of humans. Finally, he fell into the love of plants. Now, the feel of his love for plants and greenery is spreading day-by-day. Others too are not untouched with fragrance of his love for plants.

Dr Sibia has gone too much deep into his love for the plants and greenery that he has collected a lot of material over the period. “I am writing a book on plants in the near future”, he reveals. He wants to spread this message among the masses, so that more and more people may come near to the nature and get benefit of the useful plants.