As the saying goes, food is the fuel for life. The intake of food sustains our life's functions, but some common foods in our daily lives can easily cause poisoning if not handled properly. We must pay attention to this and avoid it. Below are six types of food that can cause poisoning when eaten raw. How many of them do you know?
Food Poisoning
In our daily lives, we've all heard that if food is cooked for too long, it can become overcooked and produce carcinogens. Therefore, true masters of cooking know how to control the heat. However, there are six types of food that must never be eaten raw, as they can cause poisoning.
1. Soy Milk
First, soy milk, a favorite in our daily lives, must never be consumed raw. This is because raw soybeans contain toxic components. If soy milk is consumed before it is fully cooked, it can cause food poisoning, usually leading to symptoms of enteritis. Therefore, soy milk must be thoroughly heated before drinking.
2. Green Beans
Green beans are another food that can easily cause poisoning. This is due to two substances they contain: saponin and hemagglutinin. Saponin is a strong irritant to the gastric mucosa and can cause digestive tract symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Hemagglutinin can destroy the oxygen-carrying function of red blood cells, causing them to agglutinate and lead to poisoning. However, at 100 degrees Celsius, these two toxic substances are destroyed. Therefore, when cooking green beans, you must not undercook them just for the sake of being fresh.
3. Fresh Daylilies
Fresh daylilies contain colchicine. After the human body ingests colchicine, it is converted into colchicine dioxide, a highly toxic substance that can harm the gastrointestinal and urinary systems, posing a serious threat to health. An adult can be poisoned by consuming 50-100 grams of fresh daylilies at one time.
4. Fresh Wood Ear Mushrooms
Fresh wood ear mushrooms contain a porphyrin-like photosensitive substance. This substance is sensitive to light. After consumption, exposure to sunlight can cause solar dermatitis. In severe cases, it can lead to throat edema and difficulty breathing. Wood ear mushrooms that have been soaked for a long time are also prone to spoilage. If they become contaminated with bacteria, they can easily produce toxins and should not be eaten!
5. Ginkgo Nuts
Ginkgo nuts contain hydrogen cyanide toxin, which is highly toxic, so eating them raw is very easy to cause poisoning. However, the toxicity of ginkgo nuts decreases when heated. Even so, when used in soups or for medicinal purposes, the skin and embryo should be removed, as these parts contain a higher proportion of toxins.
6. Cassava
Although the root of cassava is rich in starch, all parts of the plant, including roots, stems, and leaves, contain toxic substances, and the fresh root is particularly toxic. Therefore, special care must be taken when consuming cassava roots. The toxic substance in cassava is linamarin. If raw or uncooked cassava or its soup is consumed, it can cause poisoning. This is because linamarin or linamarase is hydrolyzed by stomach acid to produce free hydrogen cyanide, which poisons the human body.
What Foods Cause Food Poisoning
Rotten Cabbage
After eating rotten cabbage, a person can suffer from oxygen deprivation, leading to headaches, dizziness, nausea, abdominal bloating, etc. In severe cases, it can cause convulsions, coma, and even be life-threatening.
Moldy Tea
Mold on tea is the result of contamination by penicillium and aspergillus. If you drink tea made from moldy leaves, it can cause mild symptoms like dizziness, diarrhea, and kidney deficiency, or in severe cases, necrosis of vital organs.
Unpickled Preserved Vegetables
If the amount of salt used for pickling is insufficient and the pickling time is less than 8 days, it may lead to nitrite poisoning.
Sprouted Green Potatoes
The sprouts and green skin of sprouted potatoes (potatoes) contain high levels of solanine, which can easily cause poisoning if consumed. Therefore, sprouted potatoes with green skin should not be eaten.
Brown-Cored Sugarcane
The inside of spoiled sugarcane is black or brown, and it has an alcoholic taste. This is because the sugarcane has been infected with *Fusarium moniliforme* and has produced toxins.
Fresh Broad Beans
Some people may experience allergic hemolytic syndrome after eating them, with symptoms such as general fatigue and anemia.
Fresh Daylilies
Fresh daylilies are extremely toxic, while the dried variety is not. This is because fresh daylilies contain colchicine, a toxin that can cause symptoms such as a sore throat, a burning sensation in the stomach, and hematuria. However, if the fresh daylilies are first scalded in boiling water, then soaked in cold water for more than 2 hours (changing the water once), they become non-toxic.