7 Poisonous Foods We Eat Everyday

The foods that we love to eat may hurt us if we eat to excess.

I enjoy working here at Greener Garden. Every week, we have a group meal that we tape and post on Youtube, called a Mukbang. We have done some insane food challenges, like the 8-by-8 at In-n-Out and the whole pizza from Costco, but the most memorable one that we’ve had done was the Southeast Asian fruits. Of the fruits we ate, the most pungent one was the durian. A fruit which smells like spoiled cooked onions and liver, mixed with garbage water. One bite and I was done. If taste could kill, I would be dead.

[artist’s interpretation of what eating durian feels like]

Thankfully, durian is not poisonous in spite of the taste. But there are some plants out there that we eat regularly which are. The list of these plants a quite extensive, but here are the 7 that I found the most interesting

[img source https://www.livemint.com/Home-Page/dtWfbKOrmf0U7R7McuAuvI/The-scent-of-a-durian.html]

First, want to clarify what “poisonous” means in the case of my list. When I say “poisonous,” I don’t necessarily mean “could kill you with a single misplaced bite.” Nor do I mean that they are susceptible to fungus or bacteria which “could kill you with a single misplaced bite.” I’m referring to a part of the plant which contains a chemical or compound which naturally occurs in it.

[img source: https://bestwaytogetridofmouseinhouse.com/kill-mice-poison-safe-top-10-tips/]

Almonds

I’ve come across almonds prepared in all different ways; unshelled, slivered, blanched, and shelled. They taste delicious. Very smooth and nutty and even better when toffeed. They are the seeds of a deciduous tree that is native to the mediterranean and are commonly used in the cuisine of that area. The dangerous type of almonds are the bitter ones, which have higher concentrations of enzyme emulsions which can be used to create hydrogen cyanide.

[img source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/269468.php]

Apples

This is one of the earliest fruits I was introduced to. I’ve eaten them while they were crispy, sweet, and fresh, and also baked to perfection in pies. At this time, there are around 7,500 known types of apples currently discovered. One of the earliest proverbs I learned “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”referring to its purported health benefits. I think the saying should have been changed when scientists found out that their seeds contained trace amounts of amygdalin and cyanogenic glycoside, which in large amounts could cause cyanide poisoning.

[img source: https://blog.hellofresh.com.au/guide-to-apples/

Cashews

There were a lot of things that I didn’t know about cashews, aside that they were the perfect snack when I was watching the game on T.V. I was aware that these nuts were attached to the bottom of a type of apple and that their shells are actually the dangerous part of the plant. The shells contain phenolic lipids, anacardic acid, and cardanol, which can cause contact dermatitis. When handling the shells, often times, workers will use gloves to help prevent this from happening. Thankfully, the fruit is not poisonous itself, and can be turned into a reportedly refreshing beverage.

[img source: https://balconygardenweb.com/how-to-grow-a-cashew-tree-growing-cashew-nuts/]

Nutmeg

I had no idea what exactly nutmeg was; only that I found it in the supermarket in little jars already ground up into a fine powder. I didn’t know that it was a fruit, and was surrounded by red tendrils called aril. While it is primarily used to spice up a dish, it is also a psychotropic and hallucinogenic with a duration of toxicity that can last several days. In spite of these properties, I don’t condone getting high using nutmeg because it can be incredibly dangerous. It can also cause delirium, anxiety, confusion, headaches, nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, eye irritation, or amnesia. It also has a chance of causing abortions and pet toxicity in large quantities.

[img source: http://www.gcnanutmeg.com/nutmeg-and-what-we-can-find-inside-this-amazing-natural-remedy]

Potatoes

Lets face it, potatoes are a staple food for most of the world. I love the delicious, starchy taste and savory flavor when cooked. Potatoes are one of the most versatile foods in the culinary arena; they can be fried, baked, mashed, thickened, and even more. I didn’t realize that they need to be cooked thoroughly for a very important reason – potatoes are nightshades. There are certain glycoalkaloids that are common in members of the nightshade family that begin to dissipate as soon as the root is exposed to light and heat. If we tried to eat potatoes raw, or worse, while it was beginning to re-sprout, it could cause headaches, diarrhea, cramps, and in the worst cases, coma, and death. I’m not going to let that stop me from enjoying my french fries though!

[img source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato]

Rhubarb

I’ve only recently tried Rhubarb, and it definitely is not what I expected. It had a crunch like celery, but was sweet like berries and is used as a fruit in culinary arenas, like rhubarb pie. Something unexpected that I learned recently is that it was historically used as medicine because of its unique properties as a cathartic and laxative. In addition to this property, it also has oxalic acid in large amounts in its leaves and trace amounts in its stem. Oxalic acid is nephrotoxic and highly corrosive and can cause major kidney damage.

[img source: https://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/photos/8-poisonous-foods-we-commonly-eat/6-rhubarb]

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a really confusing plant. I say that because technically they are a berry – a fruit. But due to its low sugar content, it is considered a vegetable in culinary terms. That being said, I can’t say that I don’t enjoy the mildly sweet, tangy, and hearty flavor of it in pizza, spaghetti, and ketchup. Tomatoes are also members of the nightshade family, so solanine is present in it as well, concentrated in the leaves. There have been reports of some people using tomato leaves to brew teas and falling very ill.

[img source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/tomatoes]

I hope that this list didn’t put you off of too many of your favorite foods. In fact, I hope it did the opposite, and made you curious about the foods that you love eating. I’d love to hear from you about the strangest things that discovered about your favorite foods and we will -cashew- on the next blog

Image result for cashew puns