Are you still eating these poisonous foods? We eat food every day, which provides nutrition for our bodies. However, some foods naturally contain toxins, and improper handling can lead to poisoning. Let me take you into the world of these poisonous foods to help you prepare in advance.
1. Kidney Beans
Toxin Crime: Raw kidney beans contain toxic substances—lectin and saponin. If not cooked thoroughly, they can cause poisoning within 1 to 5 hours of consumption. Symptoms include mild headaches and dizziness in mild cases, and severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain in severe cases.
Anti-Toxin Guide: The ends of kidney beans contain higher levels of toxins and should be removed. When cooking, you cannot just blanch or stir-fry them like other vegetables; they must be simmered for at least 10 minutes. When the kidney beans change from a bright green to a dark or dark green color and no longer have a raw bean smell, they are safe to eat. If you are still worried about poisoning, you can blanch them first to ensure they heat evenly.
2. Fresh Daylilies
Toxin Crime: They contain colchicine, which is oxidized into a highly toxic substance, di-colchicine, in the human body. This can severely irritate the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems, leading to food poisoning.
Anti-Toxin Guide: Before cooking, blanch the fresh daylilies in boiling water, then soak them in clean water for more than 2 hours. After removing them, squeeze out the juice and cook them thoroughly. It should be noted that dried daylilies are made from fresh daylilies through steaming, boiling, and sun-drying, during which the toxic substances are destroyed and will not cause poisoning.
3. Green Potatoes
Toxin Crime: Potatoes contain solanine, a harmful alkaloid. After sprouting, the content of solanine increases dramatically in the eyes, sprouts, and any green or rotten parts. Eating such potatoes can cause mild nausea and abdominal pain, and in severe cases, difficulty breathing.
Anti-Toxin Guide: If the potato sprouting is not severe, you can thoroughly cut out the sprouted eyes and remove the green parts. Then, soak them in cold water for about an hour before cooking (solanine will dissolve in the water). Adding a little vinegar before serving can also remove some of the toxins.
4. Nuts and Kernels
Toxin Crime: Poisonous nuts and kernels include ginkgo (baiduo), bitter almonds, cherry pits, and apple seeds. Ginkgo contains toxic components such as ginkgolic acid and ginkgolides, which can damage peripheral nerves. Other nuts contain amygdalin and amygdalinase, which can easily produce hydrocyanic acid upon hydrolysis, leading to poisoning.
Anti-Toxin Guide: Ginkgo should not be eaten raw; its toxicity is reduced after heating, and about 10 kernels can be consumed at a time. Other nuts should not be eaten directly. When making juice, the pits should be removed first.
5. Soybeans
Toxin Crime: Raw soybeans contain trypsin inhibitors, which hinder protein absorption and can irritate the stomach and intestines. Additionally, the lectin in raw soybeans is a glycoprotein that can cause nausea and vomiting if consumed in excess.
Anti-Toxin Guide: After being thoroughly cooked, the toxic substances in soybeans are destroyed and they can be eaten safely. Raw soy milk bought outside should be thoroughly boiled before drinking. The specific method is to boil it for another 8 minutes after it comes to a boil.
6. Fish Gallbladder
Toxin Crime: The gallbladders of fish such as grass carp, common carp, and crucian carp contain bile, which is toxic to human cells and can cause symptoms like nausea, severe vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Anti-Toxin Guide: Fish gallbladder is harmful to the body even after cooking and must not be eaten. It is located in the abdomen of the fish, usually a pale yellowish-green or bluish-black color, and must be completely removed before cooking.
7. Red Heart Sugarcane
Toxin Crime: Sugarcane is sold in the fall, but many fruit shops store large quantities in cellars until the following spring. During this time, if the sugarcane freezes and thaws, the suitable temperature promotes mold growth. The sugar and water content in sugarcane also facilitate mold growth. The toxins produced by mold can be harmful to the human body. After mild poisoning, symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur. In severe cases, convulsions can occur, and it can even lead to death from respiratory failure.
Anti-Toxin Guide: The key is to learn how to select sugarcane. Fresh sugarcane has a bright appearance, and the flesh after peeling should be white with a yellowish tint. Moldy sugarcane has a dull表皮 with mold spots and a soft texture. The end of the sugarcane may show a cottony or fluffy white substance. When cut, the cross-section is dull in color, loose in structure, and the flesh may contain black or red thread-like substances.
8. Rotten Fruits
Toxin Crime: When a fruit is rotten in one spot, some people can't bear to throw the whole thing away and just cut off the bad part to eat. However, after long-term storage, fruits are often invaded by microorganisms, the most common of which is Penicillium. Through metabolism, it produces patulin, which can cause gastrointestinal disorders, kidney edema, and other diseases. A survey by the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medical Sciences showed that the patulin content in the normal-looking parts of a moldy apple is 10% to 50% of that in the moldy part. Therefore, even the fruit that appears normal on the outside may already contain a large amount of harmful substances.
Anti-Toxin Guide: When a fruit is partially rotten, simply removing the moldy part and eating the rest may not be safe, as patulin has already spread to other parts of the fruit through the juice. Therefore, "rotten fruits" should be discarded immediately, and the non-rotten parts should not be eaten either.
9. Bitter Melon Seeds
Toxin Crime: Many people have encountered "bitter seeds" when eating melon seeds. But did you know that these bitter-tasting melon seeds are very harmful to the body and can even lead to liver cancer? This is because once melon seeds become moldy, they may contain aflatoxin, which is one of the strongest chemical carcinogens known. Regular consumption may increase the risk of liver cancer.
Anti-Toxin Guide: If you eat a moldy melon seed, don't be lazy; spit it out and rinse your mouth with water. The best way to prevent it is to prevent food from becoming moldy in the first place. For example, when buying melon seeds, do not buy them if the packaging is dirty or damaged. Also, try to choose small packages. After buying them, it is best to store them in a cool, ventilated, and dry place (preferably below 20°C and with a relative humidity below 80%), and avoid direct sunlight.
10. Rancid Nuts
Toxin Crime: Nuts contain a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids. Improper storage or long-term storage can lead to rancidity, resulting in the "rancid" smell we often describe. The harm lies in two aspects: on one hand, it makes the nuts taste bad, producing a pungent, irritating taste. On the other hand, the products of oil rancidity in nuts, such as small-molecule aldehydes and ketones, also pose a threat to health. If consumed in large quantities, it can cause mild diarrhea in mild cases, and in severe cases, it may lead to liver disease.
Anti-Toxin Guide: Nut vendors are usually reluctant to throw away spoiled nuts, and the best way to mask the "rancid" smell is to add large amounts of salt, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, saccharin, essence, and other seasonings during processing. Therefore, spoiled nuts are often hidden in salty, five-spice, or flavored nuts. In comparison, plain or lightly roasted nuts are generally of better quality.
Conclusion: The above is a list of poisonous foods compiled by the editor. Everyone should pay attention when purchasing! Hope this helps you all!