You must have been told many a time not to eat certain types of food as they are not good for your health and can cause harm, but you still eat them and may have just experienced weight gain, a few pimples, and problems like diabetes. But do you know there are also certain foods, which if not made the right way, can make you fall very sick or may even kill you just with one single serving? Yes, such foods do exist and we shall learn about 7 of them right away.
Blood clams
The kind of consistency the raw clams have, as it is can make anyone squirm, and it has more to it than that. Harvested in areas of the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean, they have an extra amount of hemoglobin. This is the substance that makes your blood turn red, and this is why blood clams have a crimson color. What makes it more shocking is the fact that they contain many bacteria that can cause dysentery, typhoid, and hepatitis A. The chances are even brighter if the clams come from Chinese water. Though they can invite hepatitis, still many people prefer consuming them.
Fugu
Fugu is a Japanese delicacy that you must eat only at your own risk. Also called the puffer fish it is one of the most poisonous animals in the whole world. Chefs need to have a two years training before they can prepare this dish and have to pass a test, which about a third of the applicants fail. Some parts like the ovaries, intestines, and the liver have a chemical compound known as tetrodotoxin that is 1,200 times more toxic compared to cyanide. It is famous because of a tingling sensation it causes on the lips. This toxin can even paralyze the muscles of a person and result in suffocation even when the person is fully conscious. As per the UK Daily Mail. 30-50 people end up dying every year after eating fugu.
Wild mushrooms
Many of you must have a great liking of mushrooms, and it may form a part of your regular diet. If you have a habit of picking mushrooms yourself and cooking them, you need to be very careful. Certain wild mushrooms like Death Cap can actually cost you your life. They can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, or even heart, liver, and kidney damage. Before picking anything from Nature and eating them you must be sure of what you are doing.
Ackee
Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica and is also one of the most poisonous foods in the whole world. It can offer a punch that you never will want to receive. Ackee contains a poison known as hypoglycin that leads to serious vomiting, a problem popularly known as Jamaica Vomiting sickness. If you eat ackee before it is completely ripe it may even cause death or at least make you slip into a coma. It is thus very important you consume only the edible part of this fruit, the yellow area present around the black seeds.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb can be used to make a delicious pudding or pie but if you eat the wrong part it can end up being your last meal. The leaves of this plant have a chemical called oxalate. If you eat them it can make it difficult for you to breathe and also cause seizures, kidney failure, and may even cause death. These stems also have this chemical, though in not a very big amount.
Elderberry
Elderberry is considered to be of great medicinal value and can treat flu and cold symptoms and also if placed on skin wounds it can help in healing it. The fruit of elderberry trees are used to make alcohol, and it provides flavor to foods like syrup, pies, and jam. Yet, you have to be very careful. The USDA suggests that though the purple and blueberries can be eaten, some of the red berries species are toxic. Botanical and medical experts say that the stems, leaves, and uncooked or unripe berries may result in nausea, vomiting, and also diarrhea.
Bitter almonds
Almonds that are actually not nuts but seeds are full of health benefits and this is something all of us know. However, there are some people who instead of opting for sweet almonds prefer bitter almonds because of them being richer in flavor. But do you know these bitter almonds contain cyanide? It is very important for them to be processed so as to remove the poison, or else they can prove to be fatal.
