Wild mushrooms are delicious in taste and contain fat, protein, carbohydrates, crude fiber, various minerals, and multiple vitamins. Regular consumption of mushrooms is very helpful for improving health and preventing diseases. However, eating mushrooms also carries the risk of poisoning. Moreover, according to data, eating a large amount of wild mushrooms at once or consuming them consecutively can lead to a decrease in blood sugar levels. Therefore, even if not poisoned, excessive consumption of wild mushrooms can lead to symptoms of general weakness.
Doctors introduce that summer is a peak period for mushroom poisoning. The vast majority of mushroom poisoning cases are mild cases of gastroenteritis, with clinical symptoms including severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. A few are neuropsychiatric types, with clinical manifestations of dizziness, nausea, vomiting, followed by symptoms such as irritability, delirium, and hallucinations. In severe cases of poisoning, the damage to the human body is extremely serious, which can lead to acute renal failure or liver necrosis and hemolytic poisoning, resulting in shock or even death. ■ There are three main reasons for wild mushroom poisoning
One, accidentally eating poisonous mushrooms. Relevant departments have conducted statistics, showing that there are hundreds of common wild mushrooms, but only 30 to 40 types are edible. For example, a poisonous mushroom that looks very similar to the green-head mushroom is often mixed in with edible green-head mushrooms, allowing pickers to unknowingly harvest it. If people eat it, a tragedy is naturally inevitable.
Two, mistakes in the processing process. If the mushrooms are not cooked thoroughly, or if the wok or spatula used for stir-frying has touched uncooked mushrooms, anyone who eats these mushrooms may be poisoned.
Three, although some wild mushrooms are non-toxic, if the place where they grow is contaminated, or if the underlying strata contain toxic minerals such as phosphorus. Eating mushrooms picked from such a place can easily lead to poisoning. ■ How to identify poisonous wild mushrooms
Generally speaking, poisonous mushrooms have brighter colors, warts, and bumps on their caps. Some have red spots, grooves, or cracks. Some mushrooms have a volva or a ring. Generally, when a poisonous mushroom is broken, juice will flow out, and it will have a pungent smell. Poisonous mushrooms can also be identified from the following aspects:
Observe the appearance. Generally, poisonous mushrooms are more brightly colored than edible ones, often with red-purple, yellow, or multicolored spots on the cap, and rings and volvas on the stem.
Smell the odor. Poisonous mushrooms often have a pungent, foul, or bitter smell, while edible mushrooms have their own inherent fragrance without any strange odor.
Color change test. Rub a green onion white on the mushroom cap. If the green onion turns bluish-brown, it is poisonous; if not, it is non-toxic. When cooked, poisonous mushrooms often turn black when they touch silverware and turn blue or brown when they touch minced garlic.
Milk test. Sprinkle a small amount of fresh milk on the mushroom surface. If the milk clumps on the surface, it may be poisonous. ■ The following points should be noted when eating wild mushrooms
One, do not pick mushrooms you are unfamiliar with, especially brightly colored ones. Do not mix different types of wild mushrooms when eating; it is best to eat only one type at a time.
Two, do not stir-fry all the wild mushrooms you picked together, because different types of wild mushrooms can easily undergo chemical reactions when mixed, turning non-toxic mushrooms into poisonous ones. Be very careful during processing. For example, with boletus edulis, the best method is to boil it first to reduce its toxicity and lower the possibility of poisoning.
Three, when buying mushrooms at the market, it is best to buy ones you have eaten before and that have not caused any harm. After buying them, they should be stir-fried thoroughly before eating.
Four, do not drink alcohol when eating mushrooms. Although some wild mushrooms are non-toxic, certain components they contain can react with the ethanol in alcohol to produce toxins, causing poisoning. Therefore, it is best not to drink alcohol when eating wild mushrooms.
Five, if you feel unwell after eating mushrooms, with symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, vomiting, blurred vision, or hallucinations, you should go to the hospital for treatment immediately. If there is no time to seek medical attention, you should immediately use simple methods and easily available drugs to induce vomiting, perform gastric lavage, administer a laxative, or perform an enema to quickly expel any remaining unabsorbed mushrooms in the body or slow down the absorption of toxic substances, thereby reducing the severity of the poisoning and preventing the condition from worsening. After these treatments, you should be sent to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.