Mushrooms
Not every mushroom is created equal. Crimini mushrooms might make perfect pasta toppers, but some species contain poisons that can kill.
Tomatoes
The juicy, red fruit contains a poison, Glycoalkaloid, in its leaves, which is known for causing upset stomachs, severe cramping, and anxiety. So steer clear of the leaves and stems.
Rhubarb Leaves
Rhubarb might bake up all kinds of delicious sweets, but the leaves are poisonous, causing breathing trouble, seizures, kidney failure, and in some cases, death.
Peanuts
One of the most common allergies is to peanuts. The most severe response is anaphylaxis, which can lead to severe constriction of the airways, shock, and even loss of consciousness. It is dangerous enough to cause death if left untreated, so know your allergies before stepping anywhere near these babies or their addictive friend, peanut butter.
Shellfish
A severe allergic reaction to shellfish can inhibit breathing and even be life-threatening.
Potatoes
Potatoes have both poisonous stems and leaves, but even so, potato poisoning is rare. Most potato-related deaths come from eating green potatoes, or drinking potato leaf tea.
Cherries
Watch out for cherry seeds, which contain poisonous hydrogen cyanide.
Raw Meat and Uncooked Eggs
Raw meat — including red meat, poultry, and seafood — and uncooked eggs can contain salmonella bacteria, which can cause gastroenteritis in humans. Salmonella poisoning can also lead to serious complications, such as bacteremia (when salmonella enters the bloodstream) that are life-threatening to people with weaker immune systems. So light a flame under your meat to avoid any risks.
Almonds
This seed (no, it isn’t actually a nut) may pack in many health benefits — but they are also potentially full of poison. Bitter almonds, while in their raw form, are full of cynaide. They need to go through a specialized heat treatment (more than just your DIY oven roasting) in order to remove the toxins.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
Hot Dogs
The ballpark favorite is the leading cause of choking fatalities among children, so watch your little ones when they scarf ’em down.
Stone Fruit Seeds and Apple Seeds
Getty Images
Apples and stone fruits — cherries, plums, apples, pears, peaches, and apricots — are nature’s candy, but stay away from the seeds (as well as the bark and leaves). They contain amygdalin, a compound that produces cyanide. Large doses can lead to dizziness and vomiting, increased blood pressure, kidney failure, coma, and even death.
Elderberry
We love us some berries, but the elderberry plant, used in medicinal syrups, sodas, and liquors can cause a severely upset stomach, so stay away from the stems and leaves.
Castor Oil
Castor oil comes from the castor bean plant, which is loaded with the poison ricin. Make sure the beans your castor oil was made from adhered to all safety guidelines.
Fugu (Puffer Fish)
The puffer fish’s skin and certain organs contain an extremely poisonous toxin that can paralyze a human and even cause death.
Sannakji (Live Octopus)
This pear-shaped fruit needs to ripen fully, as it contains toxins that can lead to death. Importation of the raw fruit is banned in the U.S, but you can buy it canned.
Honey
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids, poisonous toxins, are found in this sweet and sticky treat. If honey isn’t pasteurized properly, eating it can lead to headaches, dizziness, weakness and vomiting — eating too much of it can be fatal.
Kidney and Lima Beans
These legumes are good for you, unless they’re prepared incorrectly. Soak red kidney beans for several hours to remove lectins, which can kill the cells in your stomach, and cook and drain lima beans thoroughly to get rid of the chemical compound, linamarin, which can turn into hydrogen cyanide.
Tuna
You’ve likely heard about the dangers of mercury poisoning, and that’s a big reason why you should be careful of your raw tuna intake — especially for children and pregnant women. Once ingested, it can cause itching, pain, high blood pressure and other dangerous symptoms.
Nutmeg
You most likely already have nutmeg in your spice cabinet. Though it’s great to have on-hand for baking, ingesting a significant amount can lead to psychotic symptoms like disorientation, hallucinations and hyper-excitation.
Cashews
Getty Images
Cashew shells carry anacardic acid which can cause burn your skin and cause an upset stomach. There’s also the fact that cashews must be boiled or roasted before you eat them. In their raw state, they have urushiol, a chemical that can cause poison ivy-like rashes — or worse, death depending on how much you consume.
Cassava
Getty Images
Cassava flour has emerged as a popular gluten-free alternative, but the vegetable’s leaves and roots are rich in cyanide. Just two roots can carry a fatal dose. The veggies must be peeled and cooked before consumption.
Bean Sprouts
Isabelle Rozenbaum//Getty Images
Sprouts are often consumed raw — like on salads — or lightly cooked, thrown into a stir fry last minute to preserve the crunch. That’s means its tough to cook out food borne illnesses, like e.coli, listeria, and salmonella. Since 1996, 30 different outbreaks (some deadly) have been r
Raw Milk
naturalbox//Getty Images
Grocery store milks are pasteurized, but some people drink milk straight from the animal. It’s called raw milk, and it’s a risky beverage. Anyone who drinks it — especially young children — are at major risk for deadly diseases including e.coli and listeria.
Chili Peppers
skaman306//Getty Images
One won’t kill you — obviously — but peppers have a chemical called capsaicin. It’s what makes them spicy, and it’s also what’s used in pepper spray. Consuming a lot (like during a dangerous pepper eating contest) can cause your lungs to constrict.
Marshmallows
A popular game called Chubby Bunny requires people to stuff as many marshmallows in their mouth as possible. As a result, two people have died, and the fluffy sweets are now seen as a major choking hazard.
Bernard Van Berg//Getty Images
Unpasteurized Cheese
Similar to raw milk, unpasteurized cheese — or “raw” cheese — isn’t commercially imported to the U.S. (That includes popular varieties like camembert.) It’s a host for deadly food borne illnesses and bacteria.
Microwave Popcorn
Getty Images
It’s not so much the kernels as it is the bags they come in. When a chemical that’s used in the bag’s nonstick coating decomposes, it creates a compound called perfluorooctanoic acid. That acid’s been linked to both liver and prostate cancer.
Margarine
Getty Images
You don’t need to fear the fats in butter, but you should watch your margarine intake. Many tubs are high in hydrogenated oils — which pack trans fats aka the bad kind. They can increase your risk of heart disease and cancer.
Processed Meat
Jonathan Boulton
Bacon is keto-friendly, but it’s not actually doing your body any good. According to the National Cancer Institute, meats containing nitrites and nitrates have been consistently linked to colon cancer.
