Fruits and Vegetables Contain Natural Toxides: Prevent Food Poisoning in Summer
When it comes to maintaining a healthy diet, one thing that requires special attention is preventing food poisoning from eating the wrong things. We often see news reports of mass food poisoning incidents, especially during the height of summer. So, how can we choose the right foods to avoid accidentally falling victim to food poisoning? Let's find out together.
Natural Toxins in Plants
Vegetables
In our daily diet, plant-based foods play an extremely important role. However, improper consumption can easily lead to poisoning. This is because plants contain many natural toxins. Below is a brief introduction to some of them to help readers recognize and understand them.
Natural Toxins in Poisonous Mushrooms
Mushrooms
Mushrooms, also known as fungi, are a type of large fungus. Prized for their delicious flavor, they are considered a delicacy. Li Yu, in his work "Xian Qing Ou Ji," said: "Those who eat this are said to absorb the essence of the mountains, rivers, plants, and trees. There is none that is not beneficial to man, and among them, there are some that are toxic and can kill." This shows that ancient people had a mixed view of mushrooms. China has a wide variety of mushrooms, which can be found all year round. Mushrooms are generally divided into three categories: edible mushrooms, conditionally edible mushrooms, and poisonous mushrooms. China is known to have over 360 edible species and over 105 poisonous species, of which about 20 can be life-threatening, and only about 10 are extremely toxic. The toxic components of poisonous mushrooms are relatively complex; one poisonous mushroom may contain multiple toxins, and one toxin may be present in multiple poisonous mushrooms. Different toxic components cause different poisoning symptoms based on the damage they inflict on human organs.
1. Liver and Kidney Damage Type
Caused by the accidental consumption of poisonous mushrooms containing protoplasmic toxins such as amatoxins and phallotoxins. These toxins are stable, resistant to high temperatures and drying, and cannot be destroyed by ordinary cooking methods. These toxins can damage organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys, and brain, with the liver and kidneys being the primary targets. This type accounts for over 95% of the mortality rate from mushroom poisoning.
2. Neuro-Psychological Type
The main toxic substances causing this type are compounds such as tryptamines and hallucinogens. This type is mainly characterized by mental excitement, mental confusion, mental depression, and hallucinations. These types often overlap and are difficult to distinguish, and death can occasionally occur due to respiratory or circulatory failure.
3. Gastrointestinal Toxic Type
Many types of poisonous mushrooms can cause this type of poisoning. The main toxic components may be resin-like substances or compounds such as phenols and formaldehyde. Poisoning symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and severe diarrhea. The course of the disease is generally short, the prognosis is good, and the mortality rate is low.
4. Hemolytic Type
The toxic component causing this type is gyromitrin, which can destroy a large number of red blood cells, causing acute hemolysis. Because it is volatile, its amount can be reduced during cooking or drying, but it can still be retained in soups, so drinking the soup can cause poisoning.
It is generally believed that poisonous mushrooms have the following characteristics: beautiful cap color, peculiar shape, a ring and a volva on the stem, and a soft, juicy fruiting body that changes color significantly when broken. Folk methods for identifying poisonous mushrooms include the ability of their juice to blacken silverware or garlic, but these methods lack a scientific basis. For unknown dried mushroom species, they should be washed, boiled, and the broth discarded before consumption. Stir-frying over high heat should be avoided.
Natural Toxins in Kidney Beans
Kidney Beans
Kidney beans, also known as green beans or string beans, are cultivated all over China and are a common cooking ingredient in the food industry. Kidney beans are rich in vitamin A precursor and calcium, and traditional Chinese medicine also believes they have the effect of reducing swelling. However, kidney beans contain harmful chemical compounds that often cause poisoning. Kidney bean poisoning is mainly caused by saponins and phytohemagglutinins. Saponins have a strong irritating effect on the gastrointestinal mucosa and can destroy red blood cells, causing hemolysis; phytohemagglutinin has the effect of agglutinating and dissolving red blood cells. Both of these toxins can be destroyed by prolonged heating. Kidney bean poisoning mainly manifests as gastroenteritis symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, and headache. Some patients may also experience chest tightness, palpitations, cold sweats, numbness in hands and feet, limb numbness, and a feeling of coldness in the stomach.
To prevent kidney bean food poisoning, it is advisable to blanch them in boiling water for several minutes before consumption. When stir-frying or boiling, they must be cooked thoroughly to completely destroy the toxins.
In addition, soy milk made from soybeans may also cause poisoning due to components such as trypsin inhibitors and saponins. Poisoning symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes accompanied by dizziness and weakness. Therefore, when consuming soy milk, it must be boiled and kept at a boil for several minutes to be thoroughly heated to prevent unnecessary poisoning.
Natural Toxins in Tubers
Potato Poisoning
Potatoes are widely used in our daily lives, but sprouted potatoes can cause food poisoning. The main toxic component is solanine, also known as glycoalkaloid, which is a weakly alkaline glycoside. When stored improperly, causing potatoes to sprout or turn dark green, the solanine content increases significantly. Solanine has a strong irritating effect on the gastrointestinal mucosa, a paralyzing effect on the respiratory and motor centers, and a hemolytic effect on red blood cells. The main poisoning symptoms include a tingling and burning sensation in the throat and oral mucosa, and gastroenteritis symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Solanine is easily soluble in water, decomposes easily in acetic acid, and its toxicity can be destroyed by thorough cooking. When consuming potatoes, these characteristics should be utilized: soaking them in water for a longer time and adding some vinegar during cooking can prevent poisoning. In addition, do not eat sprouted potatoes or potatoes with dark green skin and flesh.
Cassava Poisoning
The main toxic substance in cassava is linamarin, which is hydrolyzed by enzymes to produce highly toxic hydrogen cyanide. Hydrogen cyanide can cause tissue hypoxia in the human body, leading to respiratory and circulatory failure and death.
To prevent cassava poisoning, the processing method can utilize the fact that hydrogen cyanide is volatile when heated or that cyanogenic glycosides are easily soluble in water to remove the toxic substances. Before eating cassava, the skin should be peeled off, the flesh should be soaked in water, and when steaming or boiling, the pot lid should be opened to allow the hydrogen cyanide to挥发 (volatilize) before consumption. Raw cassava is strictly forbidden.
Natural Toxins in Daylilies
Daylilies
The reason for poisoning from eating fresh daylilies is that they contain colchicine. Colchicine itself is non-toxic, but after being consumed by the human body, it is oxidized in the body to become colchicine dioxide, which is highly toxic and irritating to tissues. Poisoning symptoms include nausea, vomiting, thirst, and a dry throat.
When consuming daylilies, the dried product is safer. If eating fresh daylilies, they must be soaked in water or scalded in boiling water to remove the juice, and then thoroughly stir-fried or boiled before consumption.
Plant Poisoning Containing Nitrites
Pickled Vegetables
Nitrites are natural components of grains, vegetables, and fruits. The nitrite content in fresh vegetables does not change significantly, but it increases rapidly as the vegetables rot, especially in pickled vegetables, which reach a nitrite peak around the 8th day, with the highest content. Nitrite poisoning is characterized by dizziness, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, drowsiness, and restlessness. The main symptoms are a sudden bluish-purple color of the lips, and the nails and skin turning purplish-black or blue-brown. In severe cases, death can occur. Therefore, pickled vegetables should generally be consumed after 20 days.