A few days ago in the Wall Street Journal I read a small piece about a man in Alaska who supposedly got a bezoar from eating Brussels sprouts at the cafeteria at his work. He sued and won in court. I can’t remember if it was his employer or workers’ compensation that he sued.
I knew about bezoars caused by hair and foreign objects (like Styrofoam) from reading Cecil’s column on bezoars. But I never before heard of getting bezoars from eating what is generally considered to be edible (if not palatable) food. According to a site about phytobezoars they are caused by fruit and vegetable fibers, especially from pulpy foods like persimmons and oranges, and especially if food isn’t properly chewed.
I don’t much like Brussels sprouts, but I do enjoy broccolli and cabbage, which are the same species as B.S. (Brassica oleracea), but different varieties. Also, I don’t chew as well as I ought to. Should I be worried that I’m going to develop bezoars? Or is this just another case of litigation gone awry?
The funny part is that my dog is named Bezoar and she eats anything!
Belgium is a very tiny country, and Brussel sprouts are what they use instead of cabbages.
Or maybe its really a case of read-about-it-I-must-have-it hypochondria. You have a better chance of having a hysterical bezoar than a real one.
If anyone has a real bezoar I’ve been looking to buy one for some time.
The Three Rivers Endoscopy Center has lists of high-fiber foods. Brussels sprouts are way, way down the list, after ALL the dried legumes, nearly all of the fruits (fresh and dried), and after green peas, a baked potato with its skin, kale, broccoli, carrots, and corn. (The charts are about halfway down the page on the website.)
Sounds to me like the jury just awarded it to the guy because they didn’t know from Brussels sprouts, either.
P.S. An endoscopy (colonoscopy) is what they do when they want to look around in your colon, with the optic fiber and little lights. (Guess where they insert it. Nooo, they don’t poke a hole in your abdomen…) Your colon has to be free of fiber for them to be able to see anything, so for a couple of days beforehand, you have to eat no fiber whatsoever, plus have all kinds of wonderful enemas and things.
Woohoo, Now I can sue my mom for making me eat brussel sprouts, and therefore putting me in danger(a childhood dream come true.) 
Anybody got any good litigious dirt on liver?