Not only puffer fish: 12 "poisonous" products on your table

Man is the only creature on earth who can put himself at deadly risk just for fun or pleasure. We even make a dangerous attraction out of food — take at least the puffer fish, which, as you know, can be poisoned to death: it was forbidden and frightened by statistics, but the Japanese, like numerous tourists, continue to tickle their nerves.

However, it is not necessary to chase the exotic to play culinary Russian roulette. These products are familiar to you firsthand, but did you know that they can be poisonous?

1. Raw cashew nuts

Poison: The allergic toxin urushiol, which is also found in poison ivy.

How it works: it causes an extremely painful rash on the skin.

Interesting fact: "raw cashews" in supermarkets are actually processed with hot steam, which kills the caustic substance. But when buying, choose only whole ones: dried and shriveled ones are no longer suitable for food.

2. Potatoes and tomatoes

Poison: solanin.

In potato tubers, it is contained in a small amount (up to 0.05%), but in green and sprouted potatoes, its level increases significantly. The concentration is maximum in the sprouts and under the peel.

Dangerous solanine also contains unripe green tomatoes. The toxin level decreases when the fruits begin to lighten, becoming whitish or slightly pinkish — then they can safely be pickled and salted.

How it works: it excites, and then depresses the nervous system, disrupts digestion. However, severe poisoning occurs only if you eat several kilograms of green tomatoes or unpeeled raw potatoes.

Symptoms: headache, weakness, confusion, diarrhea and vomiting, in severe cases — convulsions and coma.

3. Farmed salmon

Poison: 13 different toxic substances, including polychlorinated biphenyls, which belong to the group of persistent organic pollutants. One study found that in artificially grown salmon, their level is higher than in wild salmon.

How it works: it suppresses the immune system, affects the skin, liver, kidneys, nervous system and even provokes the development of cancer. And the worst thing is that these substances lead to mutations, affecting the health of descendants.

You need to know this: if you eat farm salmon no more than twice a month, it will not harm your health. But if you do not want to take risks, it is better to switch to wild salmon.

4. Rhubarb leaves

Poison: oxalic acid.

How it works: it forms harmful crystalline deposits in the kidneys.

Symptoms: shortness of breath, nausea, diarrhea, pain in the eyes, burning in the mouth and throat, red tinge of urine.

5. Absinthe

Poison: toxic to humans, thujone, a large amount of which contains essential oils of bitter wormwood — the most important component of this alcoholic drink.

How it works: it distracts attention, and in large doses it causes muscle spasms and convulsions and has a disastrous effect on brain, kidney and liver cells.

Interesting fact: the fact that thujone causes hallucinations has not been proven (although many sources continue to claim this), and getting used to absinthe is harmful not so much because of the poison, but because of alcohol.

6. Elderberry

Poison: cyanide contained in leaves, stems and seeds.

How it works: if you use unripe or improperly cooked berries, you can get severe diarrhea and even convulsions.

Symptoms: after a few minutes, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, low blood pressure, nausea and shortness of breath may appear.

7. Carambola

Poison: a neurotoxin that only absolutely healthy kidneys can filter out.

How it works: it affects the brain and nervous system, and a person with problematic kidneys will be poisoned already from 100 ml of carambola juice.

Symptoms: insomnia, hiccups, vomiting, numbness, muscle cramps, weakness and confusion.

8. Fruit seeds

Poison: prussic acid, which is present in cherry, cherry, apricot and peach stones, as well as in apple seeds.

How it works: it causes oxygen starvation of tissues, disrupting the functions of the central nervous system.

Symptoms: as a result of acute poisoning, breathing becomes faster, shortness of breath develops, blood pressure increases, and the heart rate slows down. However, to get so badly poisoned, you need to eat the pulp of these bones with glasses.

9. Nutmeg

Poison: myristicin is a psychotropic substance that reduces the ability of brain cells to transmit nerve signals and causes unpleasant hallucinations.

How it works: use in large doses leads to a strong heartbeat, spasms and convulsions, dehydration and death. Moreover, epilepsy can begin after 5.6 grams, and one whole nut eaten causes a feeling of doom and psychosis.

Symptoms: agitation, confusion, headaches, nausea and dizziness, dry mouth, red eyes and memory disorder.

10. Raw (unpasteurized) honey

Poison: andromedotoxin contained in the flower nectar of heather plants.

How it works: it disrupts the work of cellular receptors, first exciting, and then depressing the central nervous system, which can end in death.

Symptoms: dizziness, weakness, excessive sweating, nausea and vomiting. Not so much toxin gets into the human body through honey, so the symptoms usually pass within a day. But still eating raw honey with tablespoons is a bad idea.

11. Tuna

Poison: mercury, which some species of fish and shellfish accumulate in their bodies.

How it works: this extremely dangerous chemical and its compounds affect the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver and nervous system. And mercury, even in small quantities, poses a special threat to the development of the child, so it is better for pregnant women, nursing mothers and children to completely abandon tuna.

You need to know this: the heat treatment of the product does not destroy mercury. In Brazil, China, Canada and some other countries, among the population groups living by fishing, up to 17 children per 1 thousand suffer from mental disorders.

12. Popcorn for the microwave

Poison: diacetyl, which is found in flavorings that give popcorn the taste of butter.

How it works: under the influence of microwaves, it releases toxic fumes that disrupt the functioning of the lungs.

You need to know this: mostly workers of manufacturing factories are exposed to danger, but you can also get poisoned at home if you get carried away with popcorn and constantly inhale steam when opening a ready-made package. So far, there is one known case when a person spoiled his lungs by eating popcorn at home-however, he cooked it twice a day for 10 years!