Can cacti protect against radiation? The latest answer is here

Cacti do not actually have a radiation-protection effect. Many people think that because cacti live in deserts, where the environment is dry and “solar radiation” is very strong, this puts a hat on cacti that can protect against radiation. In fact, this claim has no scientific basis at all; only some ignoramuses take it as true. At the same time, some unscrupulous merchants hype it wildly, making this originally false claim even more deeply rooted in people's minds. Let's see what scientists say:

The cactus is a plant of the genus Opuntia in the family Cactaceae. Also known as xianbazhang, Guanyin palm, overlord tree, dragon tongue, and so on, it is mainly distributed in the arid regions of tropical and subtropical areas such as South America, Africa, southern China, and Southeast Asia. Cacti like strong light, tolerate heat, drought, and poor soil, have tenacious vitality, and are easy to manage, making them very suitable for cultivation on home balconies.

Cacti belong to the group of plants that absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen at night, so they are called a nighttime “oxygen bar.” However, the characteristic that cacti like strong light has been exaggerated by people, and it has been given the “high hat” of being able to absorb computer radiation. This exaggeration is not entirely without basis. Steven Vogel, a professor in the Department of Biology at Duke University in the United States, described in a 2007 paper: the peak temperature of solar radiation is 5800K, which in the spectrum is the temperature of the yellow light we can see. This is very important for plant photosynthesis. Even so, in deserts where daytime temperatures can reach 46 degrees Celsius or even higher, very few plant species can survive. And cacti perform admirably in deserts.

So some merchants use this point to claim that cacti can survive in 5800K solar radiation, and therefore cacti can absorb very strong radiation. Although such a statement is not scientific, in an era when people turn pale at the mention of radiation, consumers are very receptive to it.

Yao Yuncong, a professor in the Department of Horticulture at Beijing University of Agriculture, once told the media that cacti grow in deserts with strong sunlight and can withstand the damage of sunlight and ultraviolet rays. But what is produced in sunlight is a kind of “radiant energy,” which is a different concept from the radiation rays produced by computer screens or other electrical appliances. Radiation rays are energy waves that travel in straight lines, and currently no substance can make radiation rays turn, so the claim of “absorbing” radiation rays is obviously inaccurate. Moreover, there is currently no research report that has demonstrated that cacti are better than other plants at absorbing radiation rays. Therefore, placing a pot of cactus next to a computer to absorb radiation and reduce harm to the body is completely inferred and has no scientific basis.

If you really want to reduce computer radiation exposure for your health, then you can completely appropriately control the time you spend facing the computer and maintain an appropriate distance.