We have been sharing some fun summer recipes for those that love food like we do. Nevertheless, recently we saw an article depicting some of the most strange deaths in humans. One spoke about the consumption of a dangerous food item and we thought to share. Although many of these might be known, if we can teach you a thing or two we did our job. Bad foods aren’t just overly processed or sugary ones. Sometimes things that we consider to be healthy can also be deadly.
1. Tomato
Yes, we know what you are thinking? How can the best fruit commonly mistaken with a vegetable be bad? Well, it is not the red bits you have to worry about. The issue lies on the green leaves. Tomato’s stems are known to have a deadly poison called Glycoalkaloid. In fact, consumption of this substance is known for causing upset stomachs, severe cramping, and even anxiety. We recommend keeping a close eye on those tomatoes and certainly eliminating its leaves.
2.Fugu (Puffer Fish)
The puffer fish’s skin and certain organs contain an extremely poisonous toxin that can paralyze a human and even cause death. To be exact, Puffer fish may contain the potent and deadly toxins tetrodotoxin and/or saxitoxin which can cause severe illness and death. These toxins attack our central nervous system and are more deadly than cyanide. Symptoms start within 20 minutes to 2 hours after eating the toxic fish. This Japanese delicacy is so well known to be deadly that getting a licence takes at least two years of training followed by a tough test which a third of applicants fail.
3. Elderberry
We love us some berries, but the elderberry plant, used in medicinal syrups, sodas, and liquors can cause a severely upset stomach if consumed. The uncooked berries, leaves, bark, and roots of the elderberry plant contain the chemicals lectin and cyanide. In small amounts it is rare to be deadly, however, we wouldn’t test the theory if we were you.
4. Ackee
This pear-shaped fruit needs to ripen fully, as it contains toxins that can lead to death. Importation of the raw fruit is banned in the U.S, but you can buy it canned. The toxic health effects are produced by hypoglycins A and B, which have a potent hypoglycemic effect resulting in severely low blood sugar levels, convulsions, and death. We recommend sticking with canned Ackee as it is safe to consume and not going at of your way to find the fresh version of this food.
5. Kidney and Lima Beans
These legumes are good for you, unless they’re prepared incorrectly. Soak red kidney beans for several hours to remove lectins, which can kill the cells in your stomach, and cook and drain lima beans thoroughly to get rid of the chemical compound, linamarin, which can turn into hydrogen cyanide. The toxin is significantly diminished when the beans are cooked, however, be on the cautious side of things when handling this food.
6. Cassava
Cassava flour has emerged as a popular gluten-free alternative, but the vegetable’s leaves and roots are rich in cyanide. Just two roots can carry a fatal dose. It contains cyanogenic glycosides, which can result in fatal cyanide poisoning if not properly detoxified by soaking, drying, and scraping before being consumed. Half of this pear is Cuban and growing up had to deal with the many instructions and warnings grandma gave when handling cassava.
7. Cherries
It comes to no surprise that cherry pits are not edible; however did you know they can be deadly? We aren’t talking about the choking hazard; rather, the fact they contain the poisonous compound known as hydrogen cyanide.
This pit warning goes for other stone fruits like peaches, plums, and apricots too. Although we recommend caution and hydrogen cyanide is a poison, it is not as deadly as some others in this list. Doctors say you’d have to chew a ton of cherry seeds before it would kill you. The limit for a 150-pound human is 703 milligrams of hydrogen cyanide per day, according to the National Institute of Health, which is safely hundreds of cherry seeds.
8. Hotdogs
Pushing aside the fact that this is most certainly not healthy, the dubious ingredients found inside most brands of hot dogs is not the problem here. Hot dogs are actually more dangerous due to being known in many hospitals as one of the top choking hazards in the kitchen. They’re the number one cause of choking-related injuries in children under three, according to John Hopkins Medicine. Therefore, chew three, four, or even five times more than usually when eating one of these.
9. Bagels
Surprised by this one? Bagels are obviously not poisonous, but the starchy breakfast food —just like avocados — is the cause of one of the most common knife injuries in the kitchen. In 2011, an estimated 2,000 Americans were sent to the ER with bagel-related injuries, according to the US Product Safety Commission. Although, difficult for this to kill you, a deep enough wound could get you close due to major blood loss. We suggest practising caution and cutting you bagel with the outmost attention.
10. Green Potatoes
The validity of the claim that unripened “green” potatoes are poisonous has been the subject of debate for some time. It is known, however, that the green tubers or new sprouts of the potato plant contain the dangerous toxin known as solanine and can cause serious illness if consumed in large quantities, according to the United States National Library of Medicine. In fact, solanine is known to cause nausea, headaches and neurological problems. Like Doctor Seuss recommended with regards to Green Eggs and Ham, we recommend not wanting green potatoes either.
Conclusion
Although we always hear about food items that are filled with sugar and salt and preservatives, some healthy foods have their danger too. In fact, many fruits and seafood can be deadly if not eaten right. We thought to share some of these to inform our readers and hopefully bring awareness to some pretty weird but common kitchen mishaps. Let us know in the comments if you did not know about any of these!
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