Healthy Foods That Can Harm You
Healthy foods that can harm you
Most of us assume our daily foods are entirely safe, but that's not always the case. Some common foods contain natural toxins that have the potential to harm you if you don't know what to look out for. Read on to find out more!
Five top tips to avoid natural toxins
Natural toxins in foods are often only harmful if you
consume them in large amounts, but your own sensitivity will affect
whether or not you have a reaction to them. Follow these tips
to reduce the amount of natural toxins you eat:
1. Remove bruised, damaged or discoloured parts of fruits
or vegetables
2. Throw away any food that doesn't smell or taste fresh, or
has an unusual bitter taste
3. Don't keep foods past their 'use by' date.
4. Don't assume 'natural' automatically means it's safe
5. Store, prepare, and cook foods properly.
Fruit seeds and pips
The seeds of pears and apples and the kernels of apricots
and peaches contain a substance called amygdalin, which when
consumed can form hydrogen cyanide. Hydrogen cyanide
poisioning can cause rapid pulse and breathing, dizziness, stomach
cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea, convulsions and death.
Make it safe:
- Swallowing the odd seed or pip
won't harm
you, but it's best not to make a habit of eating them or especially
chewing them.
- If juicing or blending apples or pears, remove the seeds
first.
- Don't consume more than two apricot kernels a day.
Kidney Beans
Many different beans contain toxins called lectins, but
the highest concentrations are found in red kidney beans. As
few as 4-5 raw beans can cause reactions like stomach cramps,
vomiting and diarrhoea. Improperly cooked beans can be more
toxic.
Make it safe:
- Canned beans don't need any more cooking - you can
eat them straight from the can.
- Raw beans need to be soaked for 4-5 hrs before being boiled
in fresh water for at least 10mins.
- If using a slow cooker, make sure the raw beans are cooked
as above first.
Potatoes
All potatoes contain natural toxins called
glycoalkaloids, usually they're very low. But beware of green
or damaged parts of potatoes as they contain higher levels of the
toxins and aren't destroyed by cooking. High amounts can
cause severe stomach ache.
Make it safe:
- Remove green, bruised or sprouting parts of potatoes before
cooking.
- If the cooked potato still tastes bitter, don't eat
it.
- Store potatoes in a cool dark place.
Mouldy foods
Moulds can grow on most food it the conditions are right.
While you can usually see moulds, the mycotoxins they may produce
are invisible and can penetrate food. This means if you
remove mould from food, it could still be toxic. Reactions range
from a mild rash to death.
Make it safe :
- Throw away mouldy food.
- Some cheeses delibrately contain moulds which are safe to
eat. But if you find mould on cheese which isn't supposed to
be there, don't eat the cheese.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb leaves contain very high concentrations of oxalic
acid. Reactions can range from a headache, vomiting and
muscle cramps to slower breathing, convulsions and coma.
Make it safe:
- Never eat rhubarb leaves
Kumara
Kumara can produce a number of different toxins in
response to environmental affects or damage. The levels are
usually highest near the area damaged.
Make it safe:
- Remove bruised or damaged parts of the kumara
before cooking
- Don't eat bitter-tasting cooked kumara
Parsnips
Parsnips contain toxins called furocoumarins. These
are concentrated in the peel and outermost surface layer, along
with any damaged areas. Toxin levels drop when parsnips are
cooked. These toxins can cause stomach ache and skin
reactions.
Make it safe:
- Peel parsnips and remove any damaged area before
cooking
- Don't use the cooking water of parsnips
