Deadly Foods You Might Be Eating I

In grocery stores (especially ethnic shops), you may come across cassava chips ”“ made from a shrub that grows in South America. However, there is something you should know about cassava. In this article, you will learn about some of the foods you may consume that have a dangerous asterisk.

Cassava

Full of carbohydrates and flavor, cassava is used in making candies, cakes, liquor and savory foods. However, too much of a good thing can prove deadly. Reports from Southeast Asia have suggested that eating a large amount of various parts of the plant and its relatives is fatal. Proper preparation is needed to ensure the safety of eaters. When not handled correctly, the shrub is known to cause severe cyanide poisoning, as well as a disorder known as Konzo, which can cause paralysis.

Mushrooms

We use mushrooms to make soups, salads, top pizzas, and accompany juicy steaks, but you have to be careful with the kinds of mushrooms you use when cooking. Toadstools are poisonous mushrooms, although they are regarded as a different type of plant. Not all mushrooms are made for human consumption. Luckily, there are a few ways to identify dangerous and edible mushrooms. When you’re interested in finding a mushroom that is good to eat ”“ you will need to pay attention to the cap and gills of a specimen. Good mushrooms have a flat cap that is without any bumps. The gills should be pink or black ”“ poisonous species usually have white gills. The gills on the mushroom should stay attached to the cap and not the stalk when you pull it off. These are just rudimentary signs that are used to distinguish between deadly and safe mushrooms. The best way to avoid a fatal mishap is to disregard specimens when any doubt is cast.

Castor Oil

For many years, castor oil has been a childhood nightmare for many ”“ especially when their grandmother believes the oil is a cure-all for most ailments. A spoonful of castor oil was a common remedy, and the oil has also been added to popular products, such as candy, chocolate and other foods. Careful preparation of the castor oil is a must because the castor bean is deadly. All it takes is one castor bean to kill a human, and a horse dies when they come in contact with only four of the beans. The beans contain a poison called ricin, which is so toxic that strict safety guidelines are put into place to make sure workers to not succumb to the beans’ effects. Those who work in the fields gathering the beans often encounter horrible side effects.

Apple Seeds

You may have already heard that apple seeds contain a small dose of cyanide that when eaten accidentally, will not cause death, but when eaten in abundance ”“ has the potential to cause sickness and take a life. You would need to chew on a great number of apple seeds to get sick, but it is possible to do.