12 Poisonous Fruits: How Many Have You Eaten?
Do you know which fruits are usually poisonous? Believe it or not, most people probably don't. So, which fruits are actually toxic?
Pears: Ripened with Growth Hormones
They are ripened early with expanding agents and growth hormones, then bleached and dyed with bleach and coloring agents (like lemon yellow). Treated pears have little juice, a bland taste, and sometimes an off or rotten smell. These toxic pears spoil quickly and are prone to rotting.
Watermelon: Enlarged with Expanding Agents
Excessive use of ripening agents, expanding agents, and highly toxic pesticides. The stripes on such watermelons are uneven. When cut, the pulp may look fresh, but the seeds are white and it has an off smell.
Grapes: Turned Purple with Ethylene
Unripe green grapes are soaked in a diluted solution of ethephon. After a day or two, they turn purple. These grapes have uneven color, low sugar content, little juice, and a bland taste. Long-term consumption is harmful to human health.
Mangoes: Ripened with Quicklime
Green mangoes are ripened with quicklime to make their skin look bright yellow, but they lack the mango flavor. There is also the issue of excessive use of preservatives.
Peaches: Soaked in Industrial Citric Acid
Honey peaches are soaked in industrial citric acid, making them bright red and less prone to rot. The chemical residues can damage the nervous system, trigger allergic diseases, and even cause cancer. For semi-firm peaches, alum, sweeteners, and alcohol are added to make them crisp and sweet. The main component of alum is aluminum sulfate. Long-term consumption can lead to bone hyperplasia, memory loss, dementia, decreased skin elasticity, and more wrinkles. White peaches are fumigated with sulfur, leaving sulfur dioxide residues.
Longans: Sprayed with Sulfur to Enhance Color
They are sprayed with sulfuric acid or soaked in an acidic solution to make their color more vibrant. Sulfuric acid is highly corrosive and can burn the digestive tract. It can also easily cause colds, diarrhea, and severe coughing.
Lychees: Color-Changed with Sulfuric Acid
Soaked in sulfuric acid solution or sprayed with ethephon solution to change the color of discolored lychees, making them bright and attractive, but they spoil easily. These solutions are highly acidic and can cause peeling of the hands, blisters in the mouth, and burns to the stomach and intestines. Some vendors also fumigate lychees with sulfur. Sulfur dioxide is a strong irritant to the eyes and throat, causing dizziness, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Sulfur dioxide is also carcinogenic.
Bananas: Ripened with Ammonia Water
Ripened with ammonia water or sulfur dioxide. These bananas have a tender yellow skin, but the flesh is firm in texture and not sweet. Sulfur dioxide damages the human nervous system and affects liver and kidney function.
Persimmons: Ripened with Yeast
Raw persimmons are ripened with yeast or ripening agents, but their sweetness is greatly reduced. Some growers apply a "trial spirit" to the calyx of raw persimmons to make them turn red. These chemical agents leave residues, making the persimmons toxic.
Jujubes: Dyed with Chemical Agents
When soaked in boiling water, even the greenest jujubes turn red immediately. Some vendors also dye them with chemical coloring agents and polish them with industrial wax, making them toxic.
Citrus Fruits: Polished with Industrial Wax
Excessive use of preservatives during storage, "beautified" with coloring agents during sale, and polished with industrial wax. Industrial wax contains impurities such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, which can seep into the pulp, leading to symptoms like memory loss and anemia after consumption.
Apples: Color-Enhanced with Ripening Agents
Size is increased with expanding agents, color is enhanced with ripening agents, and preservatives are used for freshness. Excessive use of expanding agents, ripening agents, and preservatives can damage the liver. Retail vendors also apply industrial wax to apples to retain moisture and make them look fresh and appealing.