Ten Foods That Become Poison When You Eat the Wrong Part
Introduction: From time to time, people accidentally die from ingesting the wrong part of a plant. To ensure this doesn't happen to you, I must list some of the most common toxic substances found in the kitchen.
1. Tomato
Toxin: Alkaloids
Toxic Part: Stems and Leaves
Although tomatoes are popular in many countries, they are indeed poisonous. While the flesh itself is non-toxic, the stems and leaves are rich in a chemical called glycoalkaloids. This substance is more prevalent in wild tomatoes, but even commercially grown ones contain a certain amount. It can cause stomach upset and anxiety. Stems and leaves can be used as a cooking flavoring, but they must be removed before consumption. This chemical is so potent that it is often used as an insecticide.
Tip: In the 1893 U.S. Supreme Court case Nix v. Hedden, the central debate was whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable, due to taxes being imposed on vegetables but not fruits. The court ultimately ruled that, for the purposes of tax law, the tomato is a vegetable, although it is botanically a fruit.
2. Apple
Toxin: Cyanide
Toxic Part: Seeds
Wherever you go, the apple is undoubtedly a popular fruit. Similar to other foods on this list, apples also contain cyanide, though in small amounts. The flesh contains no toxic chemicals, but you will find cyanide in the apple seeds. Eating a whole apple seed won't kill you, but it is certainly not good for your health. Of course, if you eat too many apple seeds (provided you chew and swallow them), you could potentially experience complications.
Tip: Apples can float in water because 25% of their volume is air.
3. Cherry
Toxin: Hydrocyanic Acid
Toxic Part: Pits
Cherries are one of the most versatile fruits, eaten raw, cooked, baked, made into jam or candy, and even paired with certain wines. Despite their many benefits, cherries are toxic. If you bite into a cherry pit without thinking and leave it in your mouth, you will likely swallow hydrocyanic acid. Once the cherry pit is chewed or crushed, it automatically produces this substance. Symptoms of mild poisoning include headaches, dizziness, confusion, anxiety, and vomiting. Large amounts of hydrocyanic acid can lead to difficulty breathing, high blood pressure, a rapid heartbeat, and kidney failure. Other reactions include coma, seizures, and, in the most severe cases, death from respiratory failure.
Tip: Cherries are rich in melatonin, which helps maintain and regulate the body's state.
4. Almond
Toxin: Cyanide
Toxic Part: Raw Almonds
Most people always think of almonds as nuts, but they are actually seeds and are especially popular in the culinary world worldwide. Similar to cashews, almonds are highly toxic if not heated in some form, and it is mainly the bitter almonds that are rich in cyanide. In many countries, it is illegal to sell almonds that have not been processed to remove this toxin.
Tip: The Old Testament of the Bible mentions that almonds were one of the first foods cultivated by humans.
5. Potato
Toxin: Alkaloids
Toxic Part: Stems and Leaves, Potatoes
We have all heard stories about potatoes, whether it's the Irish Potato Famine or other related historical events, but you may not have heard that potatoes are also poisonous. The stems and leaves of the potato plant are toxic, and even the potato itself can be. If you have looked closely at a potato, you might have noticed some are slightly green, which is caused by the toxicity of glycoalkaloids. There have been past cases of death from potato poisoning, though rare, mostly from drinking potato leaf tea or eating green potatoes. The fatal incidents are not sudden; the person often initially feels weak and then falls into a coma. Don't worry about occasionally eating a green potato chip, but be sure to throw away potatoes that have sprouted or have green skin, and do not cook and eat them, especially be careful not to give them to children.
Tip: Potatoes are a great food for astronauts! In fact, in 1995, potato plants were growing aboard the Columbia space shuttle as it orbited the Earth.
6. Chili Pepper
Toxin: Capsaicin
Toxic Part: Chili Pepper
You have probably eaten chili peppers at some point in your life, whether they were extremely spicy or not. Every chili pepper you eat contains a chemical called capsaicin. In chili peppers, capsaicin is the culprit behind the spiciness. Of course, eating one chili pepper is no big deal, but if you eat too many, it can be life-threatening. This chemical is so powerful that people use it to make paint removers and even police pepper spray. In very hot peppers like the Habanero, the capsaicin content is so惊人 (surprising) that if you cut one open, you will immediately feel a burning sensation on your skin.
Tip: Chili peppers are particularly rich in vitamin C, and a green pepper pod is said to contain six times as much.
7. Cashew
Toxin: Urushiol
Toxic Part: Raw Cashews
Although not a nut but a seed, the cashew has a shell-like structure and grows on a fruit. When you buy "raw cashews" at the store, make sure they are steamed and not completely raw. This is because raw cashews contain urushiol, the same toxic chemical found in poison ivy that causes the body to react in the same way as when it comes into contact with poison ivy or poison oak. Ingesting large amounts of urushiol can be fatal. While cases of cashew poisoning are rare, workers who shell them can sometimes experience adverse effects due to close contact.
Tip: Cashews come from a fruit that is native to South American countries. In the past, people would eat the fruit and throw away the seed (the cashew).
8. Mushroom
Toxin: Amatoxins, etc.
Toxic Part: 5% of Mushrooms
There are about 5,000 species of mushrooms in the United States, of which about 100 are said to be poisonous, and fewer than ten are deadly. Nevertheless, mushrooms can cause stomach upset. Because mushrooms are fungi and there are so many species, it is difficult to determine which are poisonous and which are not. By experience, we usually say that mushrooms growing in the wild are likely to be poisonous. Amatoxins are one of the most deadly mushroom toxins, causing severe liver damage. The "death cap" mushroom is also one of the poisonous mushrooms.
Tip: There are 38,000 known species of mushrooms, of which 5% are toxic.
9. Pufferfish (Fugu)
Toxin: Tetrodotoxin
Toxic Part: Certain Organs
The pufferfish is the second most poisonous vertebrate in the world. Although you can't eat it in the United States, many Koreans and Japanese consider parts of its flesh to be a delicacy. However, certain organs, such as the liver, are extremely poisonous and fatal. The toxin in the fish is called tetrodotoxin, which can cause symptoms such as high blood pressure and muscle paralysis, leading to the death of the poisoned person due to paralysis of the diaphragm and cessation of breathing. Many Asians still find it hard to resist this dangerous delicacy.
Tip: It is now illegal for the Emperor of Japan to eat pufferfish.
10. Cassava (Yuca)
Toxin: Cyanide
Toxic Part: Cassava
Although not common in the United States, the shrub-like cassava is widely distributed in the Caribbean and South America. When used as an ingredient, cassava can be prepared to be sweet or bitter. Its taste and smell depend on the amount of cyanide it contains, a substance that is highly poisonous. Most people who are willing to eat cassava prefer the bitter taste because it can repel insects and even animals. If the preparation is not done correctly before eating cassava, it can easily be fatal. Because of its high cyanide content, cassava's toxicity can cause neurological paralysis diseases and also lead to permanent paralysis.
Tip: The composition of cassava root is similar to flour; after extraction, it can be made into cassava flour. Cassava leaves contain cyanide, but if they are crushed and mixed with flour and left in the shade for five hours, the cyanide will break down.