Which Vegetables Can Potentially Cause Poisoning and How to Avoid It?

Which Vegetables Can Potentially Cause Poisoning and How to Avoid It?

In daily life, apart from consuming contaminated meat and toxic mushrooms that can cause food poisoning, certain commonly eaten vegetables may also lead to poisoning. Below, I will introduce several vegetables that may produce toxins, hoping to raise awareness among parents before feeding their children.

Cassava: Cassava contains a toxic substance called linamarin. Consuming raw or undercooked cassava or its broth can potentially lead to poisoning. To prevent cassava poisoning, peel the cassava before consumption and soak the flesh in clean water to dissolve cyanide. Usually, soaking for about six days can remove 70% of cyanide, and then boiling it thoroughly makes it safe to eat.

Sprouted Potatoes: Potatoes contain a toxic substance called solanine. The entire plant, including the sprouts, flowers, leaves, and the outer layer of tubers, contains this toxin. Eating these parts may cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. To prevent potato poisoning, store potatoes in a dry and cool place to prevent sprouting. If you notice sprouting or black-green discoloration on the skin and flesh, it is best not to eat them.

Green Leafy Vegetables: Some wild vegetables like shepherd's purse and wild cabbage contain substances that may transform into nitrite during the cooking process. Overconsumption of nitrites can hinder the release of oxygen from hemoglobin in the body, leading to tissue hypoxia and causing methemoglobinemia. To prevent nitrite poisoning from green leafy vegetables, consume fresh vegetables, and avoid prolonged storage of cooked dishes. For pickled vegetables, they should be thoroughly washed and only consumed after being preserved for at least 20 days.

Aralia Elata: This vegetable contains colchicine. Once ingested, colchicine oxidizes within the human tissues, producing deacetylcolchicine, which can harm the gastrointestinal and urinary systems, posing a serious threat to health. Symptoms of poisoning are similar to acute gastroenteritis, with abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, palpitations, cold sweating, numbness in the limbs, and chills. To prevent poisoning, fresh aralia elata can be slightly boiled in boiling water and then soaked in clean water to remove most of the water-soluble colchicine. Alternatively, cook the aralia elata thoroughly before consumption.

Cruciferous Vegetables: Cruciferous vegetables such as rapeseed, mustard, and radish contain glucosinolates, a toxin that can interfere with human growth and cause goiter. Glucosinolates are more concentrated in the sprouts, flowers, leaves, and the outer layer of tubers. To eliminate this toxin, it is recommended to blanch cruciferous vegetables in boiling water before consumption.

Green Beans: If green beans are not thoroughly cooked, the saponins in them can irritate the digestive tract. Green beans also contain coagulants, which can cause blood clotting. In addition, they contain nitrites and trypsin, which can stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and cause poisoning, leading to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, palpitations, cold sweats, numbness in the limbs, and aversion to cold. To prevent green bean poisoning, make sure to cook them thoroughly before eating. During my college years, I encountered a group of classmates who suffered from green bean poisoning after consuming inadequately cooked green beans. They experienced symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and a few who ate more of it had chest tightness and limb numbness, requiring hospital treatment.

Fava Beans: Fava beans contain vicine, and some children lack glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6PD) in their red blood cells. Consumption of fava beans can lead to acute hemolytic anemia (favism). To prevent fava bean poisoning, it is best to avoid eating fresh tender fava beans and ensure they are fully cooked before consumption.

Green Tomatoes: Green tomatoes contain toxic substances similar to sprouted potatoes. After consumption, symptoms of poisoning may include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and excessive salivation. Eating them raw poses even greater risks. Hence, never eat tomatoes with a green appearance.

Fresh Black Fungus: Fresh black fungus contains a photosensitive substance belonging to the porphyrin class. It is highly sensitive to light and can cause photodermatitis when exposed to sunlight. Overconsumption may cause allergic reactions to the respiratory mucosa, resulting in edema of the throat and difficulty breathing. This type of toxin is insoluble in water, so washing and soaking fresh black fungus in water will not reduce its toxicity. However, when dried in the sun to make dried black fungus, the porphyrin toxins will decompose on their own. As a result, dried black fungus does not pose a risk and can be consumed safely.