Eat at Your Own Risk

You need to eat to live, but some foods can turn on you. Some eats are inherently poisonous while others can lead to health conditions that sometimes prove fatal. Find out which foods each earned a spot on the list of foods that can kill.

Mushrooms

Danger Alert: Poisoning

Mushrooms are an essential component of many favorite dishes, from chicken marsala to mushroom ragù. Yet not every species of the fungi is safe to eat. Death Cap (pictured), Fool's Mushroom, and Autumn Skullcap among the mushroom species that can poison humans and cause sudden symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, and extreme thirst. Small-dose poisonings are treatable, but ingesting large doses of the mushrooms can lead to irreversible liver, kidney, cardiac, and muscle damage that may ultimately result in death.

Berries

Danger Alert: Poisoning

Studies have found that some berries — like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries — just might help you live longer. But there are others that have another plan in mind. Take the yew (pictured), for example. Although the sweet red pulp is generally safe, its seeds contain alkaloids that can suppress heart function and lead to death. Another dangerous berry: Daphne (a.k.a., spurge laurel, lady laurel, paradise plant, or dwarf bay). Chewing these berries usually results in intense burning in the mouth. Other symptoms include upset stomach, headaches, and delirium.

Fugu (Puffer Fish)

Danger Alert: Poisoning

This Japanese delicacy has a taste that can kill — literally. The puffer fish's skin and certain organs contain tetrodotoxin, an extremely poisonous toxin that can paralyze a human and lead to asphyxiation. Only licensed chefs who are trained in thoroughly removing the dangerous parts are allowed to prepare the dish.

Sannakji (Live Octopus)

Danger Alert: Choking Hazard

Diners in Korea who choose sannakji shouldn't be squeamish — reserve that trait for the food on the plate. Live octopus is cut up and seasoned with oil and sesame seeds to make this dish. The danger is the suction cups, which can get stuck to your throat if you don't chew thoroughly, potentially leading to asphyxiation.

Ackee

Danger Alert: Poisoning

This pear-shaped fruit — the national fruit of Jamaica — can be tricky: It must be allowed to ripen fully, then harvested and prepared properly. Ackee contains toxins that can suppress the body’s ability to release an extra supply of glucose, plunging one's blood sugar level and potentially leading to death, among other symptoms. Importation of the raw fruit is banned in the U.S.

Rhubarb Leaves

Danger Alert: Poisoning

There's a reason your favorite recipes for rhubarb pie only use the stalks from the plant — the leaves are dangerous. Toxins found in the leaves can lead to breathing troubles, seizures, and even coma. The worst cases result in kidney failure. Deaths have been reportedly linked to ingesting rhubarb leaves, although fatalities are rare.

Shellfish

Danger Alert: Severe Allergic Reaction

If you are one of the many people who have a shellfish allergy, you may be familiar with these symptoms: hives, itching, swelling, wheezing, and stomach pain, to name a few. Yet those pale in comparison to a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, which inhibits breathing, requires a swift epinephrine injection, and can be life-threatening.

Peanuts

Danger Alert: Severe Allergic Reaction

Peanuts are a common ingredient in snacks, main dishes, and desserts, but they can cause irritating allergic reactions in some people. The most severe response is anaphylaxis, which is treated at first with a quick epinephrine injection. Since anaphylaxis can lead to severe constriction of the airways, shock, and even loss of consciousness, it is dangerous enough to cause death if left untreated.

Stone Fruit Seeds and Apple Seeds

Danger Alert: Poisoning

Apples and stone fruits — cherries, plums, apples, pears, peaches, and apricots — are nature's perfect candy. But stay away from the seeds (as well as the bark and leaves). They contain amygdalin, a compound that produces cyanide. Although humans can safely digest small doses of plant cyanide, larger doses can lead to dizziness and vomiting, among other symptoms. Severe poisonings lead to increased blood pressure and heart rate, kidney failure, and coma. The ensuing respiratory arrest can lead to death.

Raw Meat and Uncooked Eggs

Danger Alert: Salmonella Poisoning

Raw meat — including red meat, poultry, and seafood — and uncooked eggs can contain salmonella bacteria, which can cause gastroenteritis in humans. Salmonella poisoning itself is not life-threatening. But it can lead to serious complications, such as bacteremia (when salmonella enters the bloodstream) that are life-threatening in some people with weaker immunities.

Hot Dogs

Danger Alert: Choking Hazard for Children

Sure, there are a number of common snacks and dishes that are potential choking hazards, but hot dogs received special mention by the American Academy of Pediatrics. In the February 2010 issue of Pediatrics, a policy statement entitled,"Prevention of Choking Among Children"stated, "Choking is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children, especially those aged 3 years or younger."Hot dogs were singled out as a dangerous food: "Hot dogs accounted for 17% of food-related asphyxiations among children younger than 10 years of age in a 41-state study by Harris et al...Hot dogs are the food most commonly associated with fatal choking among children."

Take care folks! 

And advanced wishes for a Happy New Year! 

~cheers!

simplyRJ

The Microwave: A health hazard!

By now, you probably know that what you eat has a profound impact on your health. The mantra, “You are what you eat” is really true.

But you need to consider not only WHAT you buy, but how you cook it.

Eating most of your food raw is ideal. But most of us are not going to be able to accomplish a completely raw diet, and we’ll end up cooking some percentage of our food.

In today’s corporate world, where people are pressed for time and consequently, they don’t spend as much time in the kitchen brewing and cooking warm, nutritious soups and food as Grandma would have.

We are always looking for ways to make superior use of our time. So we tend to believe, “The faster, the better.” The remedy to all of this is the most miraculous microwave oven.

They are fast and opportune, but are microwave ovens really safe?

Microwave cooking is one of the most imperative causes of ill health. It is certainly one of the most disregarded. 

There was a lawsuit in 1991 in Oklahoma. A woman named Norma Levitt had hip surgery, but was killed by a simple blood transfusion when a nurse "warmed the blood for the transfusion in a microwave oven!" 

Logic insinuates that if heating is all there is to microwave cooking, then it doesn't matter how something is heated. Blood for transfusions is routinely warmed, but not in microwave ovens. Does it not therefore follow that microwaving cooking does something quite different?

A little evidence of the harm caused by microwaving cooking was given by the University of Minnesota in a radio announcement:

"Microwaves ... are not recommended for heating a baby's bottle. The bottle may seem cool to the touch, but the liquid inside may become extremely hot and could burn the baby's mouth and throat... Heating the bottle in a microwave can cause slight changes in the milk. In infant formulas, there may be a loss of some vitamins. In expressed breast milk, some protective properties may be destroyed... Warming a bottle by holding it under tap water or by setting it in a bowl of warm water, then testing it on your wrist before feeding, may take a few minutes longer, but it is much safer".

Two researchers, Blanc and Hertel, confirmed that microwave cooking significantly changes food nutrients. Hertel previously worked as a food scientist for several years with one of the major Swiss food companies. He was fired from his job for questioning procedures in processing food because they denatured it. He got together with Blanc of the Swiss Federal Institute of Biochemistry and the University Institute for Biochemistry.

They studied the effect that microwaved food had on eight individuals, by taking blood samples immediately after eating. They found that after eating microwaved food, haemoglobin levels decreased. "These results show anaemic tendencies. The situation became even more pronounced during the second month of the study".

The violent change that microwaving causes to the food molecules forms new life forms called radiolytic compounds. These are mutations that are unknown in the natural world. Ordinary cooking also causes the formation of some radiolytic compounds (which is no doubt one reason why it is better to eat plenty of raw food), but microwaving cooking causes a much greater number. This then causes deterioration in your blood and immune system.

Lymphocytes (white blood cells) also showed a more distinct short-term decrease following the intake of microwaved food than after the intake of all the other variants.

Another change was a decrease in the ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol) values.

Each of these indicators pointed to degeneration.

RUSSIANS BAN MICROWAVE OVENS

After the World War II, the Russians also experimented with microwave ovens. From 1957 up to recently, their research has been carried out mainly at the Institute of Radio Technology at Klinsk, Byelorussia. According to US researcher William Kopp, who gathered much of the results of Russian and German research - and was apparently prosecuted for doing so (J. Nat. Sci, 1998; 1:42-3) - the following effects were observed by Russian forensic teams:

1. Heating prepared meats in a microwave sufficiently for human consumption created:
* d-Nitrosodiethanolamine (a well-known cancer-causing agent)
* Destabilization of active protein biomolecular compounds
* Creation of a binding effect to radioactivity in the atmosphere
* Creation of cancer-causing agents within protein-hydrosylate compounds in milk and cereal grains;
2. Microwave emissions also caused alteration in the catabolic (breakdown) behavior of glucoside - and galactoside - elements within frozen fruits when thawed in this way;
3. Microwaves altered catabolic behavior of plant-alkaloids when raw, cooked or frozen vegetables were exposed for even very short periods;
4. Cancer-causing free radicals were formed within certain trace-mineral molecular formations in plant substances, especially in raw root vegetables;
5. Ingestion of micro-waved foods caused a higher percentage of cancerous cells in blood;
6. Due to chemical alterations within food substances, malfunctions occurred in the lymphatic system, causing degeneration of the immune system=s capacity to protect itself against cancerous growth;
7. The unstable catabolism of micro-waved foods altered their elemental food substances, leading to disorders in the digestive system;
8. Those ingesting micro-waved foods showed a statistically higher incidence of stomach and intestinal cancers, plus a general degeneration of peripheral cellular tissues with a gradual breakdown of digestive and excretory system function;
9. Microwave exposure caused significant decreases in the nutritional value of all foods studied, particularly:
* A decrease in the bioavailability of B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, essential minerals and lipotrophics
* Destruction of the nutritional value of nucleoproteins in meats
* Lowering of the metabolic activity of alkaloids, glucosides, galactosides and nitrilosides (all basic plant substances in fruits and vegetables)
* Marked acceleration of structural disintegration in all foods.

As a result microwave ovens were banned in Russia in 1976; the ban was lifted after Perestroika.

ALTERNATIVES

You can heat food quickly in a convection oven. It's just an ordinary oven with a fan.

You can also easily and quickly heat up food, even frozen pasta, by using a saucepan with a lid and a little water, to moisten it from the steam.

You can make pan-pizza in an ordinary frying pan. And of course, steamed pudding tastes as good as the ones baked.

If someone is coming home late, and you want to give them warm food when they arrive, put a saucepan lid over the food while it is on a plate. Put the plate of food on a simmering saucepan of water. It will stay warm without drying up.

If you want to cook food, do it the old fashioned ways - it tastes much better that way!

Life is precious. No risk is worth it.

~live healthier,

simplyRJ