University of Surrey environmental psychologist Dr Birgitta Gatersleben said people who live near nature "report higher wellbeing".
She said real trees give the sense of bringing something "alive" indoors.
"There is plenty of evidence to suggest that exposure to natural environments has beneficial effects on people," she said.
She added: "There is a lot of evidence to suggest that people recover more quickly from stress and mental fatigue when exposed to natural, as opposed to built-up and "fake" environments.
"Indeed, plants in offices have been shown to have a positive effect on the wellbeing and creativity of workers."
Real Christmas trees are "better for your health" than artificial ones, an academic has claimed.