Poison lurks everywhere – even in common foods you would never expect to be poisonous. Beware of these deadly eight items of food! They can all kill you before you’re done enjoying your meal.
Almonds
Seemingly healthy for you, these not-so-safe delights can never be eaten raw and unprocessed because of the amount of cyanide contained in each one of them. New Zealand has banned them and the US monitors the cleaning and heating process of them very carefully – so yes, that’s also why it’s not a cheap snack either.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg
Did you know that nutmeg is a hallucinogen? If consumed in great quantities, it’s like taking a serious trip on some Amphetamines. Eating a whole nutmeg can give you something called a ‘nutmeg psychosis’ – probably rather psychedelic and comparable to ’shrooms, but yeah, death has been reported as well.
Tomatoes
You say tomato, I say poison! Apparently the green stems of tomatoes, especially those of green, unripe young ones can cause stomach pain and agitation. But we’re going to assume the general population isn’t going to just pick a tomato from a plant and start eating it, but steer clear of tomato tea!
Rhubarb
Though I don’t know why anyone would want much of this weird tasting plant in their food, but just 5kg can kill a person. A lesser amount can sicken you as well. The reddish ‘stalks’ of the plant contain oxalic acid. Rhubarb pie for dessert? I think I’ll try something else…
Milk
Ever wonder why there’s been so many recalls on milk products? Let’s just say there’s a lot more to watch out for other than the expiration date on your dairy products. If the Chinese milk scandal of ’08 taught us anything, it’s that melamine is a substance that must be thoroughly tested in all milk-based products—and it’s POISON! Furthermore, ice cream alone can kill you due to high risks in salmonella which can be caused by a number of unsanitary reasons, not to mention home-made ice cream incorporating unpasteurized milk. This dangerous ingredient is basically just as risky as eating a raw egg… Note to self: if it’s straight from the farm, beware!
Water
Too much of a good thing can kill anybody, so yes, too much of water can really kill you too. Over consumption of water can mess up the electrolyte count in your brain though you shouldn’t really be too worried – you’d have to drink more than your own body mass a day for it to kill you (which has happened before). The technical term is called ‘water intoxication’ which is ironic cause normally when I think of being intoxicated, I use water to help me out of that.
Cherries
Don’t suck on your cherry seeds and you’ll probably never have to worry. Just like apple seeds, they contain cyanogenic acids, which a low amount will be harmless if your body is mighty and flighty in fighting it off, but if you happen to absorb too much of it cause you decided to chew on the seeds or something—that’s a huge no-no right there.
Blowfish (Fugu)
It is a delicacy but it is also a deadly little sucker. It’s ovaries, skin, muscles, liver and who knows what else is chock full of tetrodotoxin—a powerful poison that is 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide. The chefs in Japan and Hong Kong who prepare these go under extensive training and might even be given the death penalty if their customers die instantly (paralysis and death expected in four to six hours after consumption), or you know, at least get fired or something.