If you have tulips at home, your hair will almost fall out! Is it true or just a rumor?

It has been rumored recently that tulips contain toxins that can cause hair loss when evaporated. I wonder if this is true?

In response to this, Xing Fuwu, a researcher at the South China Botanical Garden, said that the statement was pure rumor. The relevant plants did contain harmful substances, but the amount volatilized was not large, and the amount absorbed by the human body was also negligible, and would not reach the level of poisoning. "These flowers have been used for hundreds of years, but we've never seen so many harmful situations occur," he said.

An article titled "Since I got it at home, all the hair on my head almost fell out! ” article starts with an incident that happened to Ms. Liu, a citizen of Quanzhou: Ms. Liu placed the tulip pots she bought indoors for appreciation, but not long after, she suddenly found that her hair was showing signs of falling out. In this regard, garden experts said that although tulips are extremely beautiful, they are indeed not suitable for planting indoors or in classrooms, because tulips contain toxic alkalis that will be emitted into the air. They can be emitted into the air and then diffuse outdoors, but are not easy to diffuse indoors. Over time, it can cause symptoms such as hair and eyebrow loss.

In addition, the article states: "The expert once conducted a survey and found that some people who like photography will lose their hair and eyebrows if they take pictures among tulips too often. People who have long-term contact with tulips without taking protective measures will become bald. Domestic and foreign literature lists tulips as 'toxic flowers' and they should not be planted indoors to prevent poisoning and hair loss." The article states that during the peak flowering period of tulips, the longest time for viewing the flowers should not exceed 2 hours at a time.

In addition, the article also lists some "toxic" flowers, including 14 species such as lilies, daffodils, pine and cypress flowers and trees. For example, the fragrance of lily can make people overly excited and cause insomnia; the flowers, branches, and leaves of daffodils are poisonous, and vomiting and abdominal pain will occur after poisoning; the refreshing fragrance of daffodils can also cause discomfort to the nervous system, and over time, especially when inhaling the fragrance during sleep, people will feel dizzy, etc.

In addition, bauhinia, mimosa, oleander, dieffenbachia, angelica, poinsettia, datura, yellow azalea, etc. are all "toxic". The reporter searched and found that in addition to these more than 10 kinds of flowers, there are also "52 carcinogenic flowers and trees" and "80 common poisonous or carcinogenic plants" circulating on the Internet, which have aroused heated discussion among netizens.

expert:

Most of them are rumors. Many flowers have been used for many years.

Are these flowers really poisonous? Xing Fuwu, a researcher at the South China Botanical Garden, does not agree with this. "First, tulips are not widely used in Guangzhou households, and are mainly used in public green spaces, unlike in northern cities. Second, there is no scientific evidence that tulips cause hair loss. Tulips have a strong scent, but the amount volatilized in the air and absorbed by human skin is very small, and there are not many substances that are harmful to the human body. In fact, European and American countries and northern my country have been using tulips for many years."

A Zhihu netizen said that tulips are listed as poisonous flowers in various countries because the bulbs of tulips are indeed poisonous, but poisoning will only occur if they are accidentally eaten. If the hair loss is true, the first thing to suspect is the volatile organic compounds produced by the interior decoration and furniture, and the second is whether you touch the tulips frequently.

Regarding lilies, Xing Fuwu said that everyone has a certain degree of allergy to pollen and fragrance, but each individual's situation is different and cannot represent the situation of the majority of the population. The rumor that daffodils are poisonous has been around for many years. Xing Fuwu bluntly stated that daffodils do contain toxic substances, but there is no scientific explanation as to exactly which parts of the daffodils are poisonous or how much humans would need to plant before being poisoned. "Daffodils are a common traditional Spring Festival flower in Fujian and Guangdong. According to records, they have been used as early as before the Ming Dynasty and have been used for hundreds of years without any problems." In his opinion, the claim that most flowers are poisonous is a rumor.

sound:

'Toxic' flowers not scientifically tested

Why are rumors spreading nowadays? In this regard, Xing Fuwu believes that many times, these "toxic" flowers are simply created into public opinion hotspots, but in fact, these flowers have not been scientifically tested.

"Whether a flower is poisonous or not, we have to consider the amount of harmful substances it evaporates and how much is absorbed by the human body. If it is really poisonous, it must be scientifically tested: research on the impact on the human body under certain conditions can objectively determine the impact of harmful flowers on the human body." In Xing Fuwu's view, some half-knowledgeable experts have speculated based on the toxic substances found in existing flowers without conducting specific research, which has also led to the spread of rumors.