Deadly Ingredients

Posted on | May 18, 2009 |

There is an old adage, the everything is a poison, it is just a matter of degree. For example water can kill you if you drink too much, although too much is difficult to drink. If you would like to avoid a visit from the air ambulance which foods should you be aware of that contain poisons.

1. Fugu or the the Japanese blowfish. The poison is known as tetrodotoxin and affects the paralysing the victim. Eventually they die from ashypixa but remain fully concious through their ordeal. There is no antidote and treatment consists of keeping the resparatory system functioning until the poison has worn off.

Fugu is only allowed to be prepared by licensed sushi chefs as it requires a detailed knowledge of the poison containing organs of the fish. This is different for each different species of Fugu. The most deadly parts of Fugu being the liver, muscles, ovaries, and skin. The long training period culminates when the trainee chef must prepare and consume a Fugu meal. Despite this training Fugu posioning account for around 100 deaths a year. Fortunately, for Fugu fans farmed fugu is available which is bred to be non-toxic.

2. Tapioca is a starch obtained from the root of the cassava plant root, which is a rich source of cyanide. To avoid being poisoned some processing of the plant root is required by soaking or cooking is required before consumption.

3. Kidney Beans - just a few raw kidney beans are required to make you sick. If you buy your kidney beans in a can then you should be fine however as these have been already cooked. Raw kidney beans contain a toxic chemical known as phytohaemagglutinins or lectins. The effects include extreme nausea, severe vomiting, and diarrhea. Cook the beans reduces the toxicity to a safe level.

4. Chocolate - can be toxic in large quantities because of the alkaloid theobromine. It would take a lot of chocolate to have an effect in humans however, dogs, parrots, horses and cats can be killed by eating chocolate because these animals metabolize theobromine more slowly than humans.

5. Nuts have become an increasingly more common form of toxin to allergy suffers.

6. Potatos contain a chemicals known as glycoalkaloids which are also found in tomato plants. Placing the potatos in light increases the concentration of these chemicals and also makes them turn green. The effects of glycoalkaloids include headaches, cramps, vomiting and in severe cases coma and death. However, cooking potatoes breaks the glycoalkaloids down.

7. Mushrooms - normally mushrooms will not kill you but if you are gathering wild mushrooms then you need to take care. There are several species of edible mushrooms that look very similar to toxic mushrooms such as the edible oyster mushrooms. Also morels can be confused with false morels which are poisonous.

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