Does Euphorbia pilosa cause cancer?

Myth that Euphorbia pilosa causes cancer

Plants such as Euphorbia milii, Croton, and Nerium contain carcinogens and carcinogenic viruses, and even the soil in which they are planted contains toxic substances. At present, 52 types of cancer-promoting plants have been confirmed. It is recommended that all flower-loving friends "clean up the house" as soon as possible and try not to plant carcinogenic plants at home. So is this true?

Does Euphorbia pilosa cause cancer or promote cancer?

News about the poisonous nature of these flowers and plants spread across major headlines. Several years later, these news still appear from time to time in tabloids and on Weibo and are often mentioned. Make people who want to buy flowers hesitate. What is the truth? So, is Euphorbia milii carcinogenic or cancer-promoting? Although these are just two simple words, their meanings are completely different.

Carcinogenesis is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. Scientists have proven that the juice extract of Euphorbia milii has the ability to induce the early antigens of the Epstein-Barr virus and activate the Epstein-Barr virus. The activity of the Epstein-Barr virus can promote the carcinogenesis of cells. Therefore, there is a certain basis for saying that these plants have carcinogenic effects. However, the plants themselves do not produce the EB virus, and what remains in the soil are only carcinogenic substances released into the soil through fallen leaves or roots, which are also produced only due to improper maintenance. Therefore, the statements that "plants contain carcinogenic viruses" and "viruses remain in the soil" are not correct and are due to a misunderstanding of the information.

Since Euphorbia milii can "promote cancer", does that mean we shouldn't grow it?

Since experiments have shown that these plants contain cancer-promoting substances, can they still be grown? Perhaps this is the doubt in the minds of many flower growers. But in fact, these plants will not cause harm to the human body when they are properly maintained. In fact, the carcinogenic substances produced by Euphorbia milii can be found everywhere in our lives, from rubber to spices, from essential oils to drugs extracted from plants, all of which contain this metabolite.

It can be seen from this that for these plants containing carcinogenic substances, as long as we reduce damage during maintenance, avoid contact with plant secretions, and remember to wash our hands in time, these can effectively avoid contact with carcinogenic substances. At the same time, for safety reasons, do not place Euphorbia milii in an environment where people live for a long time, and be sure to increase ventilation.

How to deal with poisonous plants?

After contact with these plants, wash the contact area carefully to prevent the retention of toxic substances;

Never eat plant tissues at will, and avoid direct contact between plants and food.

The plant should be placed where children, the elderly and sensitive people cannot easily touch it.

If symptoms of poisoning occur, seek medical attention immediately.

By noting the above points, we don’t need to be afraid of poisonous plants. We can reasonably plant these plants in our daily lives and let them bring benefits to people’s lives.