Vegetables contain a large amount of antioxidant components such as vitamins A, C, and E, as well as essential nutrients for the human body such as iron, zinc, calcium, and magnesium. However, if consumed improperly, they can be harmful to the body.
Never eat these 9 vegetables
Green tomatoes
Unripe tomatoes contain a toxic substance called solanine. After consumption, the mouth may have a bitter taste, and symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and salivation may occur.
Rotten ginger
Rotten ginger produces a highly toxic substance called safrole. After consumption, it can cause poisoning and degeneration of liver cells, damaging liver function.
Vegetables stored for too long
Some vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce, and radishes, contain nitrates. If stored for too long, they will rot and decay, reducing the nitrates to nitrites, which can cause symptoms such as headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Bitter melon with bitter seeds
Because it contains a lot of momordicoside, consumption can cause poisoning symptoms such as dizziness and abdominal pain.
Old pumpkins
Its pulp contains a high amount of sugar and undergoes anaerobic fermentation, producing alcohol, which changes the nature of the pumpkin and can easily cause poisoning after consumption. It is best to remove all the pulp and check for an alcoholic smell before eating.
Insufficiently pickled sauerkraut
When pickling sauerkraut, if not enough salt is used, some bacteria are not inhibited, and the nitrates in the vegetables are converted into harmful nitrites. This chemical change mostly peaks about a week after pickling. If consumed at this time, acute nitrite poisoning may occur.
Diseased sweet potatoes
Improperly stored sweet potatoes, especially at bruised or broken spots, can become diseased due to the action of black spot fungus. If accidentally eaten and poisoned, mild cases may experience nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, while severe cases may have symptoms such as elevated body temperature, difficulty breathing, muscle tremors, dilated pupils, and even death.
Fresh daylilies
They contain a non-toxic substance called colchicine, which is converted into the toxic colchicine dioxide after being absorbed by the human body, causing nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and in severe cases, bloody stools and bloody urine.
Undercooked kidney beans
They contain two toxins: lectin and hemolysin. After consumption, symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur.