Natural poisons found in common foods that might kill you or harm your health

The World Health Organization (WHO) asserts that some naturally occurring poisons are produced in foods as a form of defensive mechanism to shield plants from animal infestation and ingestion. A wide range of foods contain these poisons. These naturally occurring toxins have the ability to offer major health concerns to both humans and livestock and are the main cause of a wide range of negative health impacts. Acute poisoning is one of the unfavorable health outcomes brought on by these naturally occurring poisons.

Acute poisoning can result in a variety of symptoms, such as allergic reactions, excruciating stomachaches and diarrhea, and in the most extreme situations, even death. They can have a detrimental impact on a number of bodily functions, including the immune, reproductive, or neurological systems, as well as the development and spread of cancer cells. As a result, even while these naturally occurring toxins do not hurt the plants themselves, eating them can make other animals, including people, sick.

Unfortunately, a significant portion of the popular foods we do eat actually include, to varied degrees, specific naturally occurring toxins, which means they may be unhealthy for us. According to research from WebMD's Christine Mikstas, some examples of typical meals that contain natural toxins or poisons include:

1. Apple seeds

First the saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" relates to apples because it is commonly accepted that they are among the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. . Despite possessing what seems to be an amazing nutrient profile, apple seeds are not as healthy as the apple fruit because they contain cyanide, a strong poison that can cause fast breathing, seizures, and possibly even death, even in tiny doses. A coating on apple seeds protects the cyanide from being absorbed by your body, so even if you accidentally swallow one, you won't get sick from it.

2. Nutmeg

Many people agree that nutmeg is one of the best ingredients to use to give a wide range of readily available baked items a pleasant, nutty flavor. However, WebMD advises that its consumption—especially in excessive amounts—should be constantly managed because it has the potential to result in serious problems with the body. This is because it includes the oil myristicin, which has been found to have unfavorable health effects like hallucinations, sleepiness, dizziness, confusion, and seizures. This is due to the myristicin it contains.

3. Green beans

One of the best nutritional sources for a wide range of essential nutrients, potatoes are typically recognized as a nutrient-dense food. The leaves, sprouts, and underground stems (tubers) of potatoes contain the toxin glycoalkaloid, therefore not all potatoes are advantageous in this sense. A substance that is known to be dangerous will cause potatoes to turn green when they are exposed to light, damaged, or allowed to mature. High glycoalkaloid content potatoes can cause a number of unpleasant side effects, including as nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, headaches, and even death.

4. Sharp almonds

Bitter almonds are believed to contain the largest concentrations of amygdalin, a chemical that can change into cyanide, despite the fact that both bitter and sweet almonds contain this potentially dangerous substance. On the other hand, persons who eat bitter almonds have been known to experience diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain. On the other side, consuming sweet almonds won't have any adverse impacts on your body, however consuming bitter almonds might.

5. Leaves of rhubarb

Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid, a naturally occurring toxin that binds to calcium and makes it more difficult for your body to absorb it. While the stalk of the rhubarb plant is safe to eat, the leaves should be avoided at all costs. It's not a bad idea to eat the stem of the rhubarb plant. Because of this, your bones suffer damage and are unable to grow normally. You are consequently more likely to suffer from major health consequences such kidney stones, problems clotting blood, vomiting, diarrhea, and coma.

6. Uncooked kidney beans

One of the best methods to meet your body's demands for vitamins and minerals is to eat kidney beans. However, they must be handled with the utmost care, especially when they have not yet been processed. According to Christine Mikstas of WebMD, the amount of lectins in raw red kidney beans is the highest. Lectins are a type of toxin that can give you diarrhea, nausea, and stomach aches. Some people may experience an allergic reaction to lectins. In their raw state, only four or five kidney beans are required to elicit. It just takes four or five kidney beans in their raw form to produce these effects, hence cooking them beforehand is advised.

7. Mangoes

According to Christine Mikstas of WebMD, the skin, bark, and leaves of mangoes contain urushiol, a natural toxin that is also present in poison ivy. This is the same substance that is found in raw cashews.

8. Mushrooms

Another rather healthy dietary item that should be monitored closely is mushroom consumption. There are several wild mushroom kinds that should be avoided at all costs. Both the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and the destroying angel are types of the Amanita genus (Amanita virosa). According to Healthline, ingesting certain wild mushroom types can result in abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, severe thirst, dehydration, liver failure, coma, and even death.

9. Raw cashews

Given that cashews are one of the healthiest nuts in the world, their nutrient profile is quite excellent. On the other side, eating raw cashew nuts could be harmful to your health because they contain urushiol, a natural toxin. When the cashew is processed, the poison is removed from the shell. Both poison ivy and poison oak contain the same urushiol toxin, which can cause allergic reactions, some of which can be severe enough to result in death.