# Common foods with strange or dangerous properties **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 2, 2017, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481 "2017-11-02T10:49:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/1 "2017-11-02T10:49:54Z")
We tend to think that most common foods are harmless, at least in the short term. So it’s always a surprise to discover that everyday foods can actually do some startlingly bad things. I’m not counting allergic reactions, since that has to do with the person consuming the food, rather than the food itself. Here are a few “dangerous” foods - can anyone think of more? [ul] [li]Grapes and chocolate can make dogs very sick, or even kill them[/li][li]Grapefruit juice will keep medications from being effective[/li][li]Black licorice in quantity can cause heart arrhythmia[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Mavic\_Chen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mavic\_Chen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mavic_Chen)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/2 "2017-11-02T11:03:15Z")
Aren’t some seeds poisonous if consumed in quantity - thinking of almonds and cyanide maybe? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/3 "2017-11-02T11:10:04Z")
7 foods that are poisonous. Only two are very common. Red Kidney beans and Lima beans require boiling for ten minutes. I wonder if these canned beans have already been boiled ten minutes to make them safe? > **[7 Everyday Foods That Are Also Poisonous](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/foods-that-could-kill-you_n_4039765)** > > 7 Everyday Foods That Are Also Poisonous ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/4 "2017-11-02T11:25:48Z")
Nutmeg is a dangerous hallucinogenic: [ > [@](#): > > In low doses, nutmeg produces no noticeable physiological or neurological response, but in large doses, raw nutmeg has psychoactive effects[22][23] deriving from anticholinergic-like hallucinogenic mechanisms attributed to myristicin and elemicin.[23][24] Myristicin, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor and psychoactive substance,[20][23] can induce convulsions, palpitations, nausea, eventual dehydration, and generalized body pain.[20][22] For these reasons in some countries, whole or ground nutmeg may have import restrictions except in spice mixtures containing less than 20 percent nutmeg.[25][26] > Nutmeg poisonings occur by accidental consumption in children and by intentional abuse with other drugs in teenagers.[23] Fatal myristicin poisonings in humans are rare, but three have been reported, including one in an 8-year-old child and another in a 55-year-old adult, with the latter case attributed to a combination with flunitrazepam.[27] > Nutmeg intoxication can vary greatly from person to person, but is often associated with side effects such as excitedness, anxiety, confusion, headaches, nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, redness in eyes, and amnesia.[20][23] Nutmeg poisoning is also reported to induce hallucinogenic effects, such as visual distortions and paranoia.[23] Although rarely reported, nutmeg overdose can result in death, especially if combined with other drugs.[23] Intoxication takes several hours before maximum effect is experienced.[20] The effects of nutmeg intoxication may last for several days.[22][23] ]([Nutmeg - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutmeg#Effects)) Nutmeg is also extremely toxic when injected intravenously. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/5 "2017-11-02T11:43:02Z")
I better stop sprinkling it on my egg custard then. 😉 Egg custard is just about the only time I use nutmeg. You sprinkle it on top just before baking the pie. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/6 "2017-11-02T12:00:00Z")
Even for its food aspect, i.e. when one unit is drunk during a meal, alcohol is much deadlier proportionate to the dose than most other substances we take. The dose you’d take is 1/20th or more of a dose that can kill you, and the dose you take for maximal psychoactive effect is more than 1/4 of the deadly dose. If alcohol were a new drug or food, it would only be approved for extreme uses (such as for methanol poisoning or alternative painkiller when others won’t work.) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/7 "2017-11-02T12:35:25Z")
[Another list](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-daily-meal/21-deadly-dishes_b_811345.html). “Common” depends on where you live–my grandmother and all her siblings ate [poke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytolacca_americana) whenever it was available. To make the leaves safe to eat you have to boil it, drain and replace the water, and boil it again 3 or 4 times. I never tried the stuff myself (didn’t like the smell of it cooking) but there was more than one time in my childhood when I was made to get out of the car and pick it from where it grew on the sides of roads. [URL=“[Phytolacca americana - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytolacca_americana)”] ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/8 "2017-11-02T12:55:12Z")
Not actually dangerous because of the huge amounts you would need to eat, but all potassium-rich foods have at least a trace amount of the unstable isotope potassium-40, including bananas, potatoes, kidney beans, and most nuts, particularly Brazil nuts. Granted, you’d have to literally eat a ton of any of them to receive a harmful dose, not to mention you’d die of potassium poisoning (or something else, like selenium) long before the radiation ever became an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/9 "2017-11-02T13:01:06Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Nutmeg is a dangerous hallucinogenic: Eyup. Definitely. Um…I asked a friend. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/10 "2017-11-02T13:06:11Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > 7 foods that are poisonous. > > Only two are very common. Red Kidney beans and Lima beans require boiling for ten minutes.\*\* I wonder if these canned beans have already been boiled ten minutes to make them safe\*\*? > > [7 Everyday Foods That Just Happen To Be Poisonous | HuffPost Life](https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4039765) Considering the millions that die each year from canned beans, I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/11 "2017-11-02T13:10:53Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > “Common” depends on where you live–my grandmother and all her siblings ate [poke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytolacca_americana) whenever it was available. To make the leaves safe to eat you have to boil it, drain and replace the water, and boil it again 3 or 4 times. I never tried the stuff myself (didn’t like the smell of it cooking) but there was more than one time in my childhood when I was made to get out of the car and pick it from where it grew on the sides of roads. [URL=“[Phytolacca americana - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytolacca_americana)”] Poke tastes rather like spinach/bok choy/chard - it’s tends more towards the sweeter rather than bitter greens like turnip/collard/mustard. But it’s a lot of work to make it edible. Much easier to simply eat spinach, chard, or bok choy. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/12 "2017-11-02T13:24:30Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Poke tastes rather like spinach/bok choy/chard - it’s tends more towards the sweeter rather than bitter greens like turnip/collard/mustard. I’ve never tried any of those, either (except possibly spinach.) I guess I’m not a “leafy greens” person. > [@](#): > > But it’s a lot of work to make it edible. Much easier to simply eat spinach, chard, or bok choy. But it has the benefit of being free (looking out the window from where I’m sitting, I see poke plants about 25 feet away from me in a field, free for the taking if they weren’t dying down for the season.) ---
**Author:** ![Predi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Predi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Predi)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/13 "2017-11-02T13:34:05Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > [ul] > > [li]Grapefruit juice will keep medications from being effective[/li] > [/ul] But grapefruit juice also greatly enhances effectiveness of most antidepressants and also other mood affecting medications, drugs and hallucinogenics 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/14 "2017-11-02T13:41:46Z")
Tomatoes and potatoes are famously both in the nightshade family. The parts we eat are safe, but the leaves of both are poisonous. A shame, too: Tomato leaves smell wonderful, and would probably make a fine herb if they weren’t poisonous. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/15 "2017-11-02T13:50:20Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [Another list](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-daily-meal/21-deadly-dishes_b_811345.html). > > “Common” depends on where you live–my grandmother and all her siblings ate [poke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytolacca_americana) whenever it was available. To make the leaves safe to eat you have to boil it, drain and replace the water, and boil it again 3 or 4 times. I never tried the stuff myself (didn’t like the smell of it cooking) but there was more than one time in my childhood when I was made to get out of the car and pick it from where it grew on the sides of roads. [ That seems like a lot of work just to eat a plant. Rhubarb is also toxic but it’s mostly in the leaves. [Rhubarb - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhubarb#Toxicity)]([Phytolacca americana - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytolacca_americana)) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/16 "2017-11-02T13:56:01Z")
Flour can be explosive and sugar burns very easily. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/17 "2017-11-02T14:25:47Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > That seems like a lot of work just to eat a plant.[ I’m sure it stared off as a [URL=“[Famine food - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famine_food)”]famine food]([Rhubarb - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhubarb#Toxicity)). I mentioned my grandmother and her siblings–they were the 9 children of a cotton sharecropper in the 1930s, the time of the Great Depression and the arrival of the boll weevil. You eat what you can get then, and then later it is a nostalgic childhood food. Some of those relatives liked [scrapple](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrapple), something no sane person should voluntarily eat. There are other, more common foods ([such as cashews](http://www.wisegeek.org/are-raw-cashews-really-poisonous.htm)) that take a similar amount of work to make safe, you just don’t notice because someone else is doing all the work. I sometimes think about how desperate people had to be (and how many tries they had to make) to try to find ways to make something that is poisonous prepared one way could be made safe prepared another. (Okay, eat this raw and you die screaming. What about if you boil it first?) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/18 "2017-11-02T14:34:31Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Poke tastes rather like spinach/bok choy/chard - it’s tends more towards the sweeter rather than bitter greens like turnip/collard/mustard. > > But it’s a lot of work to make it edible. Much easier to simply eat spinach, chard, or bok choy. Sadly, spinach is not poisonous. If it were, perhaps my spouse would stop cooking it in the morning to have with her scrambled eggs. I usually have to turn on the exhaust fan and open the door, as the smell makes me retch. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/19 "2017-11-02T14:34:58Z")
What do you mean? Scrapple is delicious! ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/20 "2017-11-02T14:51:00Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Sadly, spinach is not poisonous. If it were, perhaps my spouse would stop cooking it in the morning to have with her scrambled eggs. I usually have to turn on the exhaust fan and open the door, as the smell makes me retch. Can I have _your_ [Eggs Florentine](http://allrecipes.com/recipe/238685/eggs-florentine/), then? 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481.md?page=2)