Health Risks from Plant Foods That Aren't Stored or Cooked Properly

Many vegetables contain toxins that can be dangerous when eaten raw or undercooked. To best protect your family's health and your own, limit raw and undercooked foods. That's why home cooks need to know the essentials about food to avoid poisoning themselves and others. Below, VN Cooking introduces the vegetables and plant foods that contain toxins harmful to health if not cooked thoroughly.

1. Soy milk

Raw soybeans contain toxic compounds. When soy milk is heated to about 80°C, the saponins in the soybeans expand in the heat and foam rises to the surface, causing a "false boil". Drinking it at this point can cause poisoning, usually 0.5 – 1 hour after consumption, with symptoms mainly affecting the digestive tract.

To prevent poisoning from raw soy milk, heat it to 100 °C; it is then safe to drink.

2. Cassava (tapioca root)

Cassava contains plenty of starch, which is good for you. However, raw cassava contains cyanogenic glucosides, which produce highly toxic hydrogen cyanide. Eating raw, unprocessed cassava can harm your health or even be fatal.

To be safe, always boil cassava thoroughly before eating. While boiling, lift the lid several times to let the toxins evaporate.

3. Fresh wood ear mushrooms

Fresh wood ear mushrooms contain porphyrin, a light-sensitive substance. If your skin is exposed to light after eating fresh wood ear mushrooms, it can cause dermatitis, itching and swelling, and in severe cases skin necrosis.

So to protect your health, don't eat wood ear mushrooms fresh.

4. Eggplant

Eggplant contains solanine, a substance that can reduce the body's ability to absorb calcium. Levels are very high in raw eggplant, which can easily cause poisoning if eaten. Always cook it thoroughly before eating.

However, solanine doesn't dissolve in water, so you can add a little vinegar while cooking to remove the solanine in eggplant.

5. Bamboo shoots

Bamboo shoots contain glucides. When they reach the stomach, they come into contact with stomach acid and form acids that can cause poisoning if eaten in large amounts.

To be safe, slice freshly picked bamboo shoots thinly and blanch them in boiling water. Once the water is boiling, leave the lid off so the toxins can evaporate, and boil for about 10 minutes before draining.

6. Mushrooms

Mushrooms can harbour many bacteria that are harmful to the digestive system and can easily cause food poisoning if not cooked thoroughly.

When cooking mushroom dishes, make sure they're fully cooked and never eaten raw or undercooked, as this can affect your health and your family's.

7. Green tomatoes

Like sprouted potatoes, green tomatoes contain the toxin solanine, which can cause vomiting, headaches and dizziness.

So when preparing tomatoes, remove the seeds, and remember: eating raw tomatoes isn't good for your health.

8. Daikon

Daikon contains furocoumarins, toxins concentrated in the skin that can cause stomach pain or a burning reaction on the skin on contact.

So when preparing daikon, peel it thoroughly and cut away any damaged parts to avoid the toxins.

Thank you for reading this article from VN Cooking. We hope you've gained some useful knowledge from it.