When food might kill you: 7 poisonous foods

The fish that might kill you, the bean that contains cyanide, the seeds that has ricin and the leafs that has the same acid as in bleach. The foods that might kill you even from the first bite, 8 poisonous foods you should be warned about!

1. The fogo fish

The first person to try this kind of fish was probably the owner of a very high sense of adventurism. Almost all fishes from this family contain tetrodotoxin which is a very powerful nerve affecting poison that blocks the sodium channels in the nerve cells and can cause death in a very short time period. It is 1200 times more poisonous than cyanide. The amount of poison in one fish can kill up to 30 people and there is no known antidote for it. This dish is considered to be a very expensive one and requires a licence to prepare. 23 people die annually from eating the fogo fish, and 338 had been poisoned between the years 2000-2009.

2. Lima bean

Like any other Fabaceae, it is not recommended to eat the lima bean uncooked has the result can be disastrous. the bean, also called “the butter bean”, can hold large amounts of cyanide. But if you feel like eating a dish of lima beans, check it is properly cooked\steamed to be sure its poisons part is gone.

3. Castor seeds

While the castor oil can treat different pain and problems, the seeds of the castor plant can kill you. while chewing the seeds they release ricin – one of the most powerful toxins known to man (6,000 stronger than cyanide). it takes a very low quantity of seeds to cause a very quick death. so if you bump into the plant and have an urge to taste it – you better contain yourself and buy the clean castor oil thats been filtered from the poison.

4. Cassava

The bitter plant is mostly grown in south america. Just like bitter almonds – the cassava also contains cyanide in it. If you manage to get your hands on one of these you should handle it properly with soaking it and drying it. There is almost no danger in western countries since it is prepared properly in all places, but in africa this plant is considered one of the main causes for death. A lot of poor people who consume Cassava on a daily basis suffer from cyanide poisoning also called “Konzo”.

5. Rhubarb plant

The Rhubarb plant serve as a great base for cakes but his leafs contains oxalic acid – a chemical compound that is present in bleach, cleaning products for metals and products that prevent rust. The leafs on this plant also contain materials that can cause mouth burns, throat pain and can make you vomit feel really really sick.

6. Tomatoes and potatoes

The leafs and roots of these rather basic foods contain an organic compound called Sulnin. The potatoes are particularly poisonous and has sulnin in a very high concentration when he emerges from the ground and still being green. Generally – potatoes has more poisonous material than tomatoes. Sulnin has very rare poisonous cases, since it requires you to eat very large amounts of potatoes for it to make any affect. but if you happen to eat a green potato – take notice to things like over drooling, diarrhea, slow pulse, fast breathing and lowered blood pressure.

7. Mushrooms

No list of poisonous foods is complete without mentioning mushrooms, especially the amanita Phalloides that can cause death along with the Amanita Ocreata aka “The destroying angel”.

Even though we know the possible dangers of these mushrooms, poisonous cases are registered each year, since people are having troubles identifying the mushrooms.