When you think of poison, you may imagine bubbling green tubes of liquid, or a small vial with radioactive-looking powder in it. Sadly, poison isn't that easy to identify: Nature is its own form of mad chemist. Don’t worry! everything in this article is only deadly in giant portions. Common foods that we eat every day have deadly poison in them, and I’m here to tell you which ones!
Cyanide - Cherry pits, apple seeds, and almonds all have small concentrations of cyanide in them! Eating too many could cause sickness and drowsiness, but it would be difficult to eat a deadly amount: that would be pounds!
Lectin - Raw elderberries, elderberry leaves, kidney beans, soybeans, castor beans, and even wheat all have high concentrations of Lectin. Unlike Cyanide, Lectin often causes abdominal pain and vomiting when consumed, regardless of how much you eat. However, you don’t get sick from eating these foods because cooking them removes a lot of Lectin. Be careful!
Myristicin - Nutmeg, Star Anise, cinnamon, parsley, and black pepper all have an oil called Myristicin. Even just 2 teaspoons of some spices can cause dizziness, confusion, hallucinations, and sometimes even seizures.
Glycoalkaloid (gl-eye-coal-cal-oid) - Raw green potatoes, potato shoots, eggplant, and raw tomatoes all have a toxic substance called glycoalkaloid. This is on the more dangerous side, because it is present in nightshade veggies. This toxin can easily cause nausea, confusion, and sometimes death if eaten in high concentrations.
Oxalic acid - Rhubarb, spinach, kale, chard, sweet potatoes, and beets all contain small concentrations of Oxalic acid. This chemical bonds to the Calcium in your body and makes it harder to absorb. If too much is eaten raw over a long period of time, it stunts bone growth and puts you at risk for blood clotting, kidney stones, and vomiting.
Urushiol - This is the same poison that’s found in poison ivy. Raw Cashews and Mangoes both contain this toxin, and if you’re someone who’s allergic to poison ivy, then eating either could cause breathing problems and rashes.
Are you thoroughly terrified yet? Good. I hope you learned the important lesson that everything can be dangerous if you try to make it! In all seriousness, these are only dangerous in large quantities. No matter what, seeing the dangers of common foods can help us see the thin line between food and poison! Next time you’re forced to eat something you don’t like, just pull out the facts and say, “I won’t eat poison!”
Work Cited
Ellis, Rachel Reiff. “Common Foods That Can Be Toxic.” WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/ss/slideshow-toxic-foods. Accessed 8 November 2024.
