There’s no doubt that humans have found their ways to a lot of foods that they just really shouldn’t be eating. A lot of them are tasty, but technically, in the right quantities, they’re pretty toxic.
Which ones are you eating?
- Nutmeg. No one really eats very much of this spice, since we only really use pinches of it in recipes. And that’s a good thing, because even 0.2 oz of nutmeg could lead to convulsions. Less than that can lead to hallucinations, and 0.3 oz could cause seizures. And don’t even try eating a whole nutmeg—that causes something called “nutmeg psychosis.”
- Cashews. If you ever buy “raw” cashews, you’re not actually buying them raw. Nut manufacturers steam them to get rid of urushiol, which coats natural cashews. Urushiol is in poison ivy, and high levels when ingested can be fatal. This is especially true of people who are allergic to poison ivy.
- Tomatoes. The fruit themselves isn’t poisonous, but the stems and leaves are filled with alkali poisons. They’re not fatal, but they can cause pretty bad stomach agitation.
- Almonds. The almonds sold in stores are sweet almonds, which are just fine for eating. But bitter almonds, the other kind, contain enough hydrogen cyanide that just 7-10 can be poisonous for adults and fatal for children.
- Potatoes. The dangerous parts of potatoes are in the leaves, stems, and sprouts. These contain glycoalkaloids, which can cause cramping, diarrhea, confused headaches, and in severe cases, coma and death. This poisonous part can also be found in potatoes that are old, or left in direct light for too long. Don’t eat potatoes that have gone green.
