Foods That Kill...Literally

Food can nourish the body, but some foods can put you in the ground.

Everyone on Earth needs to eat or should be eating. Our options are limited to naturally or somewhat naturally grown foods until a menu of lab-created alternatives becomes a viable source of nutrients.

Food provides us humans with essential vitamins and minerals, fueling us through our hectic days. It can also be a source of pleasure, particularly when it's both delicious and nutritious.

However, certain foods can be deadly, despite their tempting flavors. Yet, some individuals enjoy a bit of danger with their meals. Today, I'll be discussing the foods that kill.

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Fugu

Remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer orders a dangerous fish that when prepared improperly could be fatal? That fish is called Fugu or Blowfish, a highly toxic sea creature that requires expert handling to avoid tragedy.

Personally, tackling this dish is not something that I have the balls to do.

Fugu is considered a delicacy in Japan, found in the waters of the northwest Pacific Ocean. Typically served as sashimi or in soup, it contains tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin even more lethal than cyanide – essentially a fish with a side of heart attack.

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Honey

We have bees to thank for this liquid gold, get me around a jar of the stuff and I’ll act like Winnie the Pooh in no time but for babies and toddler-aged children, this stuff can be one of the most dangerous foods in your home.

It’s kitchen myth #879 that says honey is dangerous to young children because it’s considered a choking hazard, while the thick liquid may be hard for young ones to swallow, the real danger when it comes to honey is that it can contain spores of Clostridium Botulinum which can cause botulism in the very young.

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Nutmeg

The smell of nutmeg is that of a warm comforting cup of eggnog on a cold winter night, or something like that. Although nutmeg may remind us of a joyous time of the year an overconsumption of nutmeg can lead to horrific hallucinations.

Nutmeg is one trip you don’t want to take, due to its myristicin content a nutmeg “high” can include feelings of dizziness, drowsiness, and dry mouth. It can also lead to confusion and full-blown hallucinations, and in extremely rare cases seizures have been reported.

It’s kind of crazy that a psychedelic adventure is a symptom of a nutmeg overdose but it is a crazy world out there, and stranger things have happened.

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Potatoes

Potatoes can be prepared in more than a thousand ways and with over 4,000 edible varieties, the flavor and texture options are infinite. From mashed to fried, and everything in between, however you cook them, they are delicious and full of essential vitamins and minerals, but pay attention to the color of your potato.

Aside from there being so many varieties and colors of these tasty tubers, there is only one color that matters when it comes to potatoes, and it’s the color green.

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Potatoes that have turned green contain a chemical called solanine. Solanine is a toxic compound that can cause nausea, vomiting, and neurological symptoms if consumed in large amounts.

Although Solanine is a dangerous chemical in large quantities, it’s highly unlikely that you will ever consume enough potatoes to make yourself sick unless you’re on a strict diet of potatoes, then good luck.

Elderberries

It’s become popular in homeopathic medicine to take elderberry syrup to boost the immune system during cold and flu season.

You can buy kits for making your own elderberry syrup on Amazon for relatively cheap. I have to admit that I routinely make elderberry syrup for my family, it’s very simple and I guess it’s good for me so why not?

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Elderberries are perfectly safe when cooked but when consumed raw it can be a very different story. Eating uncooked elderberries can expose the consumer to cyanide-producing glycosides.

This chemical causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea of horrendous proportions, this is one berry that can either be your best friend or your worst enemy, consume carefully.