- Green Potatoes If you happen to see a potato with some green on it, don’t eat it. It contains solanine, a colorless poison that is not destroyed by cooking. Between 200 and 400 milligrams can kill an adult, and only 20 to 40 milligrams can kill a child.
2. Apple Seeds and Other Fruit Pits Apple seeds contain cyanide, as do peach pits, apricot pits, bitter almonds, and cassava. Chronic consumption can lead to cyanide buildup, which can create serious problems. Smokers are also exposed to cyanide through tobacco. Chronic exposure can shut down the mitochondria, the energy factories of the body, leading to symptoms like visual problems, hearing loss, and poor muscle contraction. There is an antidote: methylene blue, used in emergency rooms to counter cyanide and carbon monoxide poisoning by helping the mitochondria function properly.
3. Death Cap Mushroom Ninety percent of all deaths from mushrooms come from the death cap mushroom. Its toxin, alpha-amanitin, causes necrosis of the liver and eventually the kidneys. Symptoms start with jaundice, then seizures, followed by a coma, and often death. Survivors may require a liver transplant, but the damage is usually disastrous.
4. Korean Baby Octopus The tentacles of a Korean baby octopus can stick to the roof of your mouth and throat, potentially causing you to choke and die because you can’t breathe. If you have the temptation to consume Korean baby octopus, take this into consideration.
5. Puffer Fish (Fugu) This Japanese delicacy contains a powerful neurotoxin that can paralyze your lungs. The toxin accumulates in the ovaries, intestines, and liver of the puffer fish and is 100 times more lethal than cyanide. Be extremely careful if you decide to try this dish.