Nowadays, fresh fruits and vegetables have gradually become the mainstay of our dining tables. We only worry about pesticide residues in vegetables, but we overlook the natural toxins in the food itself. Many fruits and vegetables contain natural toxic substances, and some of their special parts are most likely to retain pesticides, leading to frequent cases of food poisoning every year.
These "toxins" are hidden in different parts of fruits and vegetables. Learn to identify them and handle them carefully before eating. If you're not careful when eating, it can be fatal.
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Most Wanted: Apple
Hideout: The core contains cyanide
No matter where you go, the apple is always a popular fruit. Like cherries and almonds, apple seeds also contain cyanide, but the content is not high. Apple seeds can be accidentally eaten, but you will only feel unwell after eating a lot of them.
The flesh of the apple does not contain any toxic chemicals, but you will find cyanide in the core. Eating a whole apple core will not be fatal, but it is definitely not good for your health. Of course, if you eat too many apple cores (provided you chew and swallow them), you may have complications.
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Most Wanted: Potato
Hideout: The skin contains solanine
Potatoes contain solanine (also known as solanine), a weakly alkaline glycoside. This toxic substance is almost entirely concentrated in the potato skin, especially in the skin of potatoes that have turned green from the sun or have sprouted. Solanine can irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa, paralyze the respiratory center and motor center of the brain, and has a hemolytic effect. When solanine accumulates to a certain amount in the body, it may cause chronic poisoning. Because the symptoms are not obvious, it is often ignored. Excessive intake mainly manifests as a tingling, burning sensation in the throat and oral mucosa, and symptoms of gastroenteritis such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Some people are too lazy to peel potatoes or don't notice that the potato skin has turned green or sprouted. Even after cooking, solanine will still remain in the skin. Therefore, do not eat potatoes that have turned green or sprouted. Since solanine is soluble in water, easily decomposed by acetic acid, and its toxicity can be destroyed by high-temperature cooking, it is best to soak the cut potatoes in water for a while longer, and add some vinegar during cooking to avoid poisoning.
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Most Wanted: Green Beans
Hideout: Toxins are in the ends and sides
The pointed ends and the pod threads on both sides of flat beans like green beans contain toxic factors such as phytohemagglutinin and saponin. Both can irritate the digestive tract mucosa, and once in the blood, they can destroy red blood cells and blood clotting function. If not removed or cooked thoroughly, they can easily cause adverse reactions such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness.
Toxins are actually higher in green beans that are cooked to 80°C and not fully ripe, so the best way to cook green beans is to pinch off both ends and cook over high heat. Make sure the water in the pot covers the beans and boil for another 30 minutes after the water comes to a boil.
If you are stir-frying green beans, the amount of beans in each wok should not exceed half of the wok's volume. After stir-frying with oil, add an appropriate amount of water and simmer over low heat at 100°C for more than 10 minutes, turning the beans with a spatula from time to time to ensure even heating. The way to tell if they are raw or cooked is that the beans will go from firm to limp and their color will change from fresh green to dark green.
Now that you know where the toxins in these fruits and vegetables are, be careful when you eat them next time. Below, Xiaomei recommends four delicious fruit and vegetable recipes for you:
Apple Pancakes Diced Chicken with Apple Sauce Black Pepper Potato Cakes Braised Green Beans with Sauce