Turns out, there are plenty of dangerous things in your kitchen, and some foods that often taste delicious but can pose a threat to your health if you’re not careful. Do a sweep of your fridge and pantry for these items to ensure safe eating.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg has an active compound called myristicine, when broken down in the body it may damage the nervous system and cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.
Undercooked kidney beans
Uncooked or undercooked kidney beans contain lectin, which is a toxic substance that can cause abdominal pain, nausea, and even death. It has been proven that evenly cooked beans are lectin-free, and if the beans are undercooked, the level of lectin might increase by five times and may lead to severe toxicity. It is suggested to soak the beans for two hours before cooking.
Green Potatoes
Potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants contains a poison called solanine. To avoid solanine poisoning, keep an eye out for green or sprouted potatoes. The whole plant stores the toxin, so you shouldn’t go eating the leaves or flowers, but the tuber itself can also be dangerous when it’s ready to start, or has already started, sprouting. Before it sprouts, a potato may turn greenish, indicating the presence of chlorophyll, as well as solanine. Store your potatoes out of the sun to avoid excess light exposure and chlorophyll.
Mushrooms
Edible mushrooms are tasty, versatile delights. There are other mushrooms that are dangerous to ingest like the aptly coined death cap mushroom. It can be near impossible for the average person to tell the difference between edible and poisonous mushrooms in the wild, and fatal foraging mishaps occur every year.
Bitter almonds
Bitter almonds contain a poisonous substance – hydrogen cyanide. Studies show that consuming 6-10 of these can lead to poisoning, and consuming as few as 20-25 can be fatal.
Also see: Five reasons why dieting does not work
