Beware of Five Springtime Ingredients

Be Aware of the Top 5 Toxic Spring Vegetables

Introduction: Some vegetables require caution when consumed in spring. Improper diet can lead to symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. This is because these vegetables may contain "toxins." Below, we introduce five types of toxic spring vegetables for everyone to be careful when consuming.

1. Broad Beans

Broad beans contain a deficiency in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in red blood cells. Eating them can lead to hemolytic jaundice, also known as favism. This disease is often hereditary, so individuals with a family history should get tested at a hospital and avoid eating broad beans.

2. Green Beans and Kidney Beans

The main toxic components in green beans and kidney beans are saponins and trypsin inhibitors. To detoxify them during cooking, they should first be boiled, then removed from the water, and then simmered with seasonings.

3. Fresh Daylilies

The colchicine contained in fresh daylilies becomes toxic after being metabolized in the human body. Consumption can cause symptoms similar to acute gastroenteritis, which can easily be misdiagnosed. However, dried daylilies are generally non-toxic because the colchicine is largely leached out during processing with plenty of water.

4. Blue or Purple Seaweed

If blue or purple seaweed remains blue or purple after being rehydrated, it indicates that it was contaminated by cyclic peptides, a toxic substance, while growing in the sea. These toxins cannot be neutralized by cooking and the seaweed is inedible.

5. Fresh Wood Ear Mushrooms

Fresh wood ear mushrooms contain a photosensitive substance. After consumption and exposure to sunlight, it can cause photodermatitis. In severe cases, it can lead to throat swelling and difficulty breathing. Therefore, they should not be eaten.

Health Reminder: In addition to the vegetables mentioned above, foods like ginkgo nuts, bitter almonds, and cassava also contain certain toxins and should not be consumed in excess.

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