Cherry Pits
The hard stone in the center of the cherries is full of
prussic acid, also known as cyanide, which is poisonous. But there’s no need to freak out if you
accidentally swallow one – intact pits just pass through your system and out
the other end. Avoid crunching or
crushing pits as you nosh on your cherries.
Apple Seeds
Apple seeds also have cyanide so throwing back a handful as
a snack isn’t smart. Luckily, apple
seeds have a protective coating that keeps the cyanide from entering your system
if you accidentally eat them. but it’s
good to be cautious. Even in small
doses, cyanide can cause rapid breathing, seizures, and possibly death.
Elderberries
You may take elderberry as a syrup or supplement to boost
your immune system and treat cold or flu symptoms or constipation. But eating unripe berries, bark, or leaves of
elderberry may leave you feeling worse instead of better. They have both lectin and cyanide, two chemicals
that can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg adds a nice, nutty flavor when you add it in small
amounts to baked goods. But eaten by the
spoonful, it can cause big problems to your system. Even as little as 2 teaspoons can be toxic to
your body because of myristicin, an oil that can cause hallucinations, drowsiness,
dizziness, confusion, and seizures.
Green Potatoes
The leaves, sprouts, and underground stems (tubers) of
potatoes contain a toxic substance called glycoalkaloid. Glycoalkaloids make a potato look green when
it’s exposed to light, gets damaged, or ages.
Eating potatoes with a high glycoalkaloid content can cause nausea,
diarrhea, confusion, headaches, and death.
Raw Kidney Beans
Of all the bean varieties, raw red kidney beans have the
highest concentration of lectins.
Lectins are a toxin that can give you a bad stomachache, make you vomit,
or give you diarrhea. It only takes 4-5
raw kidney beans to cause these side effects, which is why it’s best to boil
your beans before eating.
Rhubarb Leaves
Eating the stalk is OK, but leave out the leaf. Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid, which
binds to calcium and makes it harder for your body to absorb it. In turn, your bones can’t grow the way they
should, and you’re at risk for kidney stones, blood clotting problems,
vomiting, diarrhea, and coma.
Bitter Almonds
Both types of almonds – bitter and sweet – have amygdalin, a
chemical compound that can turn into cyanide, but bitter almonds have the
highest levels by far. Sweet almonds are
safe to snack on, but eating untreated bitter almonds can cause cramps, nausea,
and diarrhea.
Star Fruit
If you have kidney disease, it’s best to leave star fruit
out of your diet. Normal kidneys can
filter out the toxins in this sweet fruit, but for a system that can’t, the
toxin sticks around and can cause mental confusion, seizures, and death.
Mushrooms
They may be great on pizza, but beware of certain mushrooms
in the wild. Two types are particularly
harmful – the death cap (Amanita phalloides), and the destroying angel (Amanita
virosa). Eating these wild mushrooms can
cause abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting, dehydration, intense thirst, liver
failure, coma, and death.
Raw Cashews
The cashews you get in stores with a raw label aren’t
exactly that. Before they hit shelves,
they’re steamed to remove a toxin called urushiol. Urushiol is the same toxin you find in poison
ivy. Eating pre-steamed cashews can
cause an allergic reaction and can be fatal if your allergies are severe.
Mangoes
Just like raw cashews, the skirt, bark, and leaves of
mangoes contain urushiol, the toxin in poison ivy. If you’re allergic to poison ivy, especially
if that allergy is a bad one, biting into a mango can cause a severe reaction
with swelling, rash, and even problems breathing.
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