Be Wary: 11 Foods That Turn Toxic When Improperly Prepared
There are countless foods in the world, and even more ways to eat them—raw or cooked, hot or cold, dry or wet. The number of ways is innumerable. Many foods taste better when eaten raw than when cooked, such as tomatoes and salmon. However, there are also a significant number of foods that must be cooked to be safe; otherwise, they are as toxic as poison.
Every food aspires to be delicious—that is its mission. Every delicious dish has an expectation: to be praised by people, which is an acknowledgment of its sacrifice. No one intends to make a poison, watching life struggle under their hands. As long as there is full communication and errors are avoided, deliciousness remains delicious.
· American Ginseng: American Ginseng is considered a superior tonic because it is not warming or drying, and has certain anti-fatigue, anti-hypoxia, and brain-boosting effects. Some people carry lozenges with them to get through our dog-like workdays. Although American Ginseng is non-toxic, it is cooling in nature. Taking too much can lead to chills, decreased body temperature, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Some people may also experience dysmenorrhea and prolonged menstrual periods.
Mistake: Self-prescribing supplements.
Correct: It is best to follow a doctor's advice when taking ginseng, and take it in small, frequent doses, with 2-8 grams per dose being appropriate. It should not be taken during a cold, cough, or acute infection.
· Soy Milk: Soy milk is recognized as a healthy food. In this DIY era, we choose to grind our own soy milk for hygiene. It should be noted that raw soy milk contains saponin, which can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Soy milk is also a good at disguising itself as a "poison." Before its toxicity is truly eliminated by boiling, it first undergoes a "false boil." That is, when soy milk is heated to 80°C, foam will appear, and as the temperature increases, the foam becomes more and more, resembling a boil, but it has not actually been fully boiled, and the toxins are still present.
Mistake: Adding raw soy milk while boiling.
Correct: When boiling soy milk, first use high heat. When foam begins to rise, switch to low heat and continue until the foam gradually disappears. Soy milk bought from outside should also be re-boiled.
· Ginkgo Nuts: This very Zen-like fruit is not only fresh and tender but also has beauty and medicinal value. However, the kernel contains ginkgolic acid and ginkgotoxin, which are irritating to the skin and gastrointestinal mucosa. After poisoning, the initial symptoms are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and loss of appetite, followed by restlessness, fear, and strange cries. Gradually, limbs become weak, and in severe cases, difficulty breathing, pulmonary edema, and coma can occur. Contact with the kernel and fleshy outer skin can also cause dermatitis.
Mistake: Ginkgo nuts cannot be eaten raw. A maximum of 4-5 cooked nuts per day is safe; eating 10-50 can be dangerous.
Correct: 1. When eating, remove the green germ from the kernel. Avoid contact with the nut shell.
2. Once poisoning symptoms appear, drinking a decoction made from 30g of ginkgo nut shells can be an antidote.
· Mulberries: Materia Medica of past dynasties highly praised mulberries for their effects of nourishing yin, benefiting the kidneys, nourishing blood, and promoting fluid production. However, the volatile oil in mulberries irritates the digestive tract, inhibits various digestive enzymes in the intestines, causing cellular poisoning and death, and can even lead to hemorrhagic enteritis and nosebleeds. Some people are also allergic to mulberries, experiencing diarrhea, a red face, and swelling and itching in the ears, nasal passages, upper eyelids, and throat.
Mistake: Gluttony.
Correct: Mulberries are cooling in nature, so do not eat too many. Those with a weak spleen and stomach or loose stools should be especially mindful of moderation.
· Nut Kernels: Nut kernels are a staple snack, but many are toxic before processing. Easily toxic nut kernels include bitter peach kernels, loquat kernels, flax seeds, bayberry kernels, plum kernels, cherry kernels, and apple kernels, all of which contain hydrocyanic acid, which can kill cells. Even sweet almonds can cause poisoning if too many are eaten at once.
Mistake: Eating them raw.
Correct: 1. Do not eat unprocessed nut kernels. Since there are so many sweet and salty ready-to-eat nut kernels in the supermarket, let's support them and not DIY.
2. If you really want to experience life, you must peel and remove the tips from the kernels, soak them in hot water for a day, and cook them without a lid to allow the toxic hydrocyanic acid to fully evaporate.
· Fresh Daylilies: Daylilies, also known as Hemerocallis, sound beautiful, but they contain colchicine toxin. Colchicine itself is non-toxic, but after entering the human body, it is oxidized into a highly toxic substance that strongly irritates the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems. Symptoms are typically a dry throat, nausea, diarrhea, and even bloody stools.
Mistake: Directly stir-frying.
Correct: 1. Follow the old tradition: dried, rehydrated daylilies are absolutely safe.
2. If you must eat them fresh, be patient. Colchicine is water-soluble. Blanch them in boiling water before eating, then soak them in cold water for more than two hours, and you will not be poisoned.
· Spinach: Spinach is nutritious and Popeye's favorite. However, spinach contains a large amount of potassium oxalate, which can form insoluble calcium oxalate when it meets calcium. Potassium oxalate can enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body looking for blood calcium to bind with, precipitating wherever it goes, damaging wherever it settles: precipitation in the brain damages the brain, in the heart damages the heart, in the kidneys damages the kidneys, and in the digestive tract it hinders the body's absorption of calcium. When blood calcium is low, bone calcium will also be released to meet it, and the calcium we so painstakingly supplemented thus facilitates their union.
Mistake: 1. Potassium oxalate is water-soluble, so drinking spinach soup is dangerous.
2. Stir-frying spinach is also not advisable. With the oil coating, potassium oxalate does not easily dissolve into the soup, so it is eaten along with the spinach, creating a high risk of chronic oxalate poisoning.
Correct: The safest and most nutritious way to eat spinach is to boil it in water, discard the water, and then eat it cold. Drinking more water after eating spinach can also reduce the chance of calcium oxalate binding.
· Lima Beans: Lima beans are a vegetable available all year round. They contain two toxins naturally: hemagglutinin and saponin. They are irritating to the gastrointestinal tract. After poisoning, one will vomit and have diarrhea, and it can even cause the body's red blood cells to agglutinate and undergo hemolysis. Some people treat them like snow peas: blanch them in boiling water first, then stir-fry over high heat. This makes them look good and have a crisp texture, but it is very easy to cause poisoning.
Mistake: Stir-frying over high heat.
Correct: 1. Lima beans are an unattractive vegetable and must be cooked thoroughly. Even after stir-frying, add an appropriate amount of water and simmer on low heat for more than 10 minutes until they look soft and ugly and have no bean-like smell when eaten.
2. When buying beans, be sure to choose young ones; old lima beans are more toxic. If you lack patience, don't eat Northeastern oil beans at all, because it is very difficult to cook this "large lima bean" thoroughly to remove the toxins.
3. Before cooking, remove the tips and the stringy parts of the pods, as they are the most toxic. It is best to soak them in water for 15 minutes first.
· Ricefield Eel: Ricefield eel has always been considered a great nourishing food. The Ming dynasty pharmacologist Li Shizhen believed that ricefield eel is especially suitable for women to replenish qi and restore deficiency. Histidine in the eel's body is the main component of its umami flavor, but after death, histidine rapidly decomposes into toxic histamine. Histamine poisoning can cause rashes, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe cases, death from poisoning.
Mistake: Using dead eels in cooking.
Correct: Ricefield eels must be bought alive. Because 24 hours after death, the histamine content in 100g of dead eel can reach 200mg, transforming it from a great nourishment to a great poison.
· Fresh Jellyfish: Old vinegar jellyfish head is not only delicious but also very nutritious. However, jellyfish contains a large number of pathogenic bacteria—Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which can easily cause acute gastroenteritis with symptoms similar to dysentery. In addition, symptoms such as fever, dehydration, acidosis, shock, and confusion can also occur.
Mistake: A rough-and-tumble method like for a regular cold salad.
Correct: Vibrio parahaemolyticus is most sensitive to acid and generally dies after 5 minutes of immersion in vinegar, and it also has difficulty surviving in fresh water. Therefore, first soak the jellyfish in fresh water for two days, then rinse it repeatedly. After cutting, soak it in vinegar for more than 5 minutes and add some minced garlic, which is sufficient to kill all the bacteria.
· Lychee: Lychee is a treasure among fruits, beautiful in color and sweet in taste, and nutritious. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that lychee contains the quintessence of the five elements and can enlighten the mind, benefit intelligence, and strengthen qi. However, lychee contains a substance that can lower blood sugar. The more you eat, the lower your blood sugar will be, and if not treated in time, it can lead to death.
Mistake: Eating three hundred lychees a day.
Correct: 1. Lychees cannot be eaten as a meal. Do not eat more than half a pound a day, and eat them half an hour after a meal.
2. If you soak lychees (including the peel) in light salt water, then chill them in the refrigerator before eating, it can not only avoid getting "heaty" but also improve the texture.
3. There is a folk remedy: drinking water infused with lychee peels can neutralize the toxicity of lychees.