Although eating raw or uncooked foods helps preserve their nutrients, some foods can be deadly if not cooked! Every year, there are news reports of various food poisoning incidents. To prevent your delicious meals from turning into poison, remember to be mindful of these foods when you're in the kitchen.
Top1 Raw Soy Milk
Raw soybeans contain toxic components, so consuming undercooked soy milk can cause food poisoning. When soy milk is heated to about 80°C, saponins expand and foam rises, creating a "false boil." At this point, harmful components like saponins in the soy milk are not completely destroyed. Drinking this soy milk will lead to poisoning, with symptoms typically appearing within 0.5 to 1 hour, mainly manifesting as gastroenteritis.
Top2 Green Beans
The reason green beans easily cause poisoning is due to two substances they contain: saponins and lectins. Saponins have a strong irritant effect on the gastric mucosa, causing digestive tract symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. Lectins can damage the oxygen-carrying function of red blood cells, causing them to agglutinate and lead to poisoning. Only by heating to 100°C for a sustained period can these two substances be destroyed. If processed over a high flame for a short time without sufficient heating, the natural toxins in green beans often cannot be completely eliminated.
Top3 Daylilies
Daylilies, also known as golden needles, are a beloved dish. However, they contain colchicine. After being ingested by the human body, colchicine is oxidized in the body to form di-colchicine, which is a highly toxic substance. It can poison the human gastrointestinal and urinary systems, posing a serious threat to health. An adult can be poisoned by consuming just 50-100 grams of fresh daylilies at one time.
Top4 Fresh Wood Ear Mushrooms
Fresh wood ear mushrooms contain a porphyrin-like photosensitive substance. After consumption, exposure to sunlight can cause photodermatitis. In severe cases, throat edema can lead to difficulty in breathing. Soaked wood ear mushrooms also spoil easily and can easily produce toxins after being contaminated with bacteria, making them inedible!
Top5 Ginkgo Nuts
Ginkgo nuts contain hydrocyanic acid, which is highly toxic, so eating them raw can easily cause poisoning. However, the toxicity is reduced when heated. Even so, when used in soups or for medicinal purposes, the skin and embryo should be removed, as these parts contain a higher proportion of toxins.
Top6 Cassava
Although cassava roots are rich in starch, all parts of the plant, including roots, stems, and leaves, contain toxic substances, with fresh roots being particularly toxic. Therefore, special care must be taken when consuming cassava roots. The toxic substance in cassava is linamarin. Ingesting raw or undercooked cassava or its broth can cause poisoning. This is because linamarin or linamarase is hydrolyzed by stomach acid to produce free hydrocyanic acid, which leads to human poisoning.