Green, unripe plums fill the fruit stalls on the streets and alleys of Fuzhou. Pick one up and take a bite, and it's really sour. However, many people actually love this sourness. But did you know? Eating unripe plums requires caution, as they contain a substance called hydrogen cyanide. Some people who eat them may experience abdominal pain, diarrhea, and even life-threatening danger!
As the saying goes: "A peach satisfies, an apricot injures, and under a plum tree, you carry the dead." This actually refers to hydrogen cyanide poisoning caused by overeating fruits like apricots and plums.
Doctors remind us that some unripe fruits contain toxins, so be careful before eating them.
Unripe plums and apricots containing hydrogen cyanide must never be eaten.
"Unripe and bitter green plums are inedible; they contain hydrogen cyanide, which is dangerous for people after consumption," said Director Lin from the Emergency Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. "Mild symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, palpitations, nausea, and vomiting. Severe cases can even lead to difficulty breathing, impaired consciousness, and systemic convulsions."
Plums should be eaten when fully ripe. They can be stewed with rock candy to moisten the throat and clear the voice. They are suitable for people with fever, thirst, consumptive fever, liver disease with ascites, or diabetes; for teachers or actors with hoarseness or loss of voice; and for patients with chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis.
There is also a traditional saying: "If a plum does not sink in water, it is poisonous." If you accidentally buy plums that are astringent or bitter, which means they are not yet ripe, do not eat them. Unripe apricots also contain hydrogen cyanide and should not be eaten either.
Never eat the pits, children in particular should pay attention.
Unripe plums and apricots are poisonous, and so are their pits. Many children especially love plums and apricots. They often chew on leftover pits, and sometimes out of curiosity or driven by appetite, they break the shells to eat the kernels inside. In this regard, doctors strongly warn that this must absolutely not be done, as these kernels contain highly toxic substances.
"Plums and apricot pits contain a compound called cyanogenic glycosides, which is especially high in apricot pits. After this compound is ingested, it can be broken down into a substance called hydrocyanic acid, which is highly toxic. It can affect the respiration of tissue cells and also damage the human respiratory center and vasomotor center," said Dr. Lin. "If accidentally ingested, mild symptoms include headache, dizziness, palpitations, nausea, vomiting, and weakness in the limbs. Severe cases can lead to difficulty breathing, impaired consciousness, systemic convulsions, and ultimately respiratory paralysis and cardiac arrest, leading to death."