Toxic Food combinations?

[YT2095]

I Really didn`t know where to put this question, but here seemed the most likely spot.

 

considering all the millions of different chemicals in the edible foods that we eat, how is it possible that seemingly NON of these when combined cause a "reaction" making toxins of some sort?

 

are there any edible foods that eaten singularly are safe, but when eaten together make a Poison or a Toxin?

 

or maybe foods that are safe when raw but break down into toxins when cooked?

[Bluenoise]

He he it's a trick question you see. If they were as you say they wouldn't be edible then!!

 

But seriously now, I can't say for sure. However, I'm pretty sure these interactions don't exist. Why?

 

Well think about it the chemicals we eat are basically the same chemicals that make up our body. So it's unlikely this will occur. Plus most of them are broken down into their basic constituitive units in our gut.

 

On a side note there are some proteins that when digested by other other proteins (both proteins can be considered "food") release toxic species. Like a few present in apricot pits. But this really is the exception to the rule.

 

I don't know of any foods that are dangerous when cooked. But there are some that are dangerous when not cooked. I guess if you burn the hell out of food you can get poisoning from some of the PAH's and other toxics formed in the process. It's akin to eating cigarette smoke.

 

Just remember you are what you eat.

[jdurg]

I know that potatos, and other vegetables from the potato family, can be quite toxic if they are consumed raw, but are perfectly safe once they are cooked. Apple seeds, peach/apricot pits have high levels of amygdalin(sp?) in them which breaks down into cyanides upon digestion. So perhaps mixing apple seeds or apricot/peach pits with a very acidic juice could cause a release of cyanide?

[YT2095]

yeah with the potatoes (nightshade family) solanins can be quite toxic, pots when raw are just unpallatable though, not toxic (unless green).

tomatoes, peppers, chilis, huckleberry, tomatillos, auborgenes are all nithtshade family too (you can tell by the flower on them! )

[RyanJ]

yeah with the potatoes (nightshade family) solanins can be quite toxic' date=' pots when raw are just unpallatable though, not toxic (unless green).

tomatoes, peppers, chilis, huckleberry, tomatillos, auborgenes are all nithtshade family too (you can tell by the flower on them! )[/quote']

 

This is a great quesiton YT although it is hard to answer!

 

Somewhere there must be a set of foods that when combined react to form toxic substances.

 

Fruits which have a pit, such as cherries or apricots, often contain either cyanides or cyanogenic glycosides in the pit. Bitter almonds, from which almond oil and flavouring is made, also contain cyanide.

 

If some of those reacted with stomach acid there could be a chance of Hydrogen Cyanide forming I suppose! That would be pretty nasty.

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[aj47]

As very few foods are made up of one chemical, I would assume that it is the hundreds of other compounds in foods that inhibit any reaction taking place as any potentialy reactive chemicals would be in such low concentrations it would be unlikly to happen.

Still though you would think at least one combination would react eh.

[RyanJ]

Still though you would think at least one combination would react eh.

 

Well, probability says there should be a few that would!

 

Hydrogen Cyanide is the closest I have found thus far but I'm researching now.

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[aj47]

Another point, my mum always tells me if you eat kidney beans before it has been soaked over night, it is so poisonous it could kill you.

Not sure how true this is though,

Anyone wanna give it a go?

[YT2095]

yeah there are a few types of bean like that, it contains a toxin that can cause favism (I assume I`ve spelled that correctly).

[ecoli]

Acorns from, oak trees, are toxic when eaten raw, but safe after they're boiled.

[aj47]

I know that potatos, and other vegetables from the potato family, can be quite toxic if they are consumed raw

 

I have eaten raw potatoes several times (don't ask why) and you just get horrible indigestion. Apart from that i was fine though.

[RyanJ]

yeah there are a few types of bean like that, it contains a toxin that can cause favism (I assume I`ve spelled that correctly).

 

Never heared of that one before, I know some beans contain caster oil which is highly toxic!

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[Bluenoise]

I have eaten raw potatoes several times (don't ask why) and you just get horrible indigestion. Apart from that i was fine though.

 

You're really lucky you didn't eat a green portion.

 

Many people make this mistake. It's not raw potatoes that are toxic it's green parts of potatoes. When a part of the potatoe is above ground it turns green in response to the sunlight. Eating this green portion raw can be deadly. And I'm serious it can kill you. There are chemicals in them that can stop your heat from beating. Don't take this as another rumor and try it out.

 

The potatoe produces this chemical to stop pests from eating it. That includes humans. Plants can run away when threatened so this is how they defend themselves. Plants are the masters of chemical warfare.

[bascule]

http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/horticulture/g1437.htm

 

^^^ there's a pretty definitive paper on the issue of green potatoes

[aj47]

You're really lucky you didn't eat a green portion.

 

Many people make this mistake. It's not raw potatoes that are toxic it's green parts of potatoes. When a part of the potatoe is above ground it turns green in response to the sunlight. Eating this green portion raw can be deadly. And I'm serious it can kill you.

 

Does that apply to when you find a green bit on a crisp aswell?

[Frost Fang]

ii doubt it's possible.there are billions of food combinations eaten throughout the world each day you think there would be someone who has died from it.

[YT2095]

Does that apply to when you find a green bit on a crisp aswell?

 

as far as I know, Solanine is Not destroyed by cooking, and will be noticably bitter in taste.

[ecoli]

Does that apply to when you find a green bit on a crisp aswell?

 

*Methinks the Briton is refering to POTATO CHIPS*

[frosch45]

I know that this is an old thread, but I found a really interesting article relating to this topic. Definately worth taking 3 minutes to read.

 

Its not extremely scientific, but it is pretty entertaining, even if it is geared to younger students.

 

http://wonderwise.unl.edu/14africa/a-plant.htm

[StoneCat]

Yes! There are toxic food combinations. It happened to me, while I was in college.

I had a banana, yogurt and half a peanut butter sandwich ...then 20 minutes later 1/2 a tuna sandwick with orange juice, then a chocolate bar.

The result was a nausea but I couldn't vomit. I tried realizing that I had eaten something bad. I nearly died.

I had to lie down but couldn't due to the extreme nasea and each time I got up I got this migrane headache. I never had such pain in all my life! My head, my stomach and I could hardly walk.

I left campus walking one foot at a time as my head was splitting. My companion guarded me all the way down 6 city blocks as I was afraid to show weakness in the "hood". I was praying for a cop but there was no help, and it was getting dark, so we made our way to the subway.

Months later an article appeared in a popular magazine, listing

orage juice, tuna, chocolate, milk, and peanuts, as potential hazards if you consume 3 and I had consumed all 5!

The medical term for the reaction is anaphylactic shock and it could have killed me. The condition is grave and I would have gone to the hospital but the 90 minute ride and the 2 hours to walk home (one step at a time!) sufficiently cleared my body. (I should have gone regardless)

Luckilly I was in good shape, otherwise I'd be dead right now.

This experience was super bad, like Dante's hell , pure head pain, each time you move agony and this went on for hours and hours. 6 hours or torture and then 6 or more of being miserable and weak.

 

A doctor friend informed me that anaphylactic shock is caused by enzyme reversal.

Mysteriously your body's chemical reactions start to go backwards.

The "Life Force" stops flowing... no power at all, and it hurts, hurts hurts!!!

Pass it on.

 

 

 

 

 

I Really didn`t know where to put this question, but here seemed the most likely spot.

 

considering all the millions of different chemicals in the edible foods that we eat, how is it possible that seemingly NON of these when combined cause a "reaction" making toxins of some sort?

 

are there any edible foods that eaten singularly are safe, but when eaten together make a Poison or a Toxin?

 

or maybe foods that are safe when raw but break down into toxins when cooked?

[Mark Ian]

Cool story stonecat. A combination that I can think of off of the top of my head are MAOI inhibitors, even though this is usually more drug related than food related: the MAOI inhibitor is in a herbal drug, if then combined with specific foods, which require monoamine oxidase for break down, it is toxic. Since many edible plants hold alkaloids, proteins and stuff that effect human anabolic pathways I wouldn't doubt there being a few odd food combinations out there.

 

 

[Phi for All]

Yes! There are toxic food combinations. It happened to me, while I was in college.

I had a banana, yogurt and half a peanut butter sandwich ...then 20 minutes later 1/2 a tuna sandwick with orange juice, then a chocolate bar.

The result was a nausea but I couldn't vomit. I tried realizing that I had eaten something bad. I nearly died.

I had to lie down but couldn't due to the extreme nasea and each time I got up I got this migrane headache. I never had such pain in all my life! My head, my stomach and I could hardly walk.

I left campus walking one foot at a time as my head was splitting. My companion guarded me all the way down 6 city blocks as I was afraid to show weakness in the "hood". I was praying for a cop but there was no help, and it was getting dark, so we made our way to the subway.

Months later an article appeared in a popular magazine, listing

orage juice, tuna, chocolate, milk, and peanuts, as potential hazards if you consume 3 and I had consumed all 5!

The medical term for the reaction is anaphylactic shock and it could have killed me. The condition is grave and I would have gone to the hospital but the 90 minute ride and the 2 hours to walk home (one step at a time!) sufficiently cleared my body. (I should have gone regardless)

Luckilly I was in good shape, otherwise I'd be dead right now.

This experience was super bad, like Dante's hell , pure head pain, each time you move agony and this went on for hours and hours. 6 hours or torture and then 6 or more of being miserable and weak.

 

A doctor friend informed me that anaphylactic shock is caused by enzyme reversal.

Mysteriously your body's chemical reactions start to go backwards.

The "Life Force" stops flowing... no power at all, and it hurts, hurts hurts!!!

Pass it on.

Isn't this more a case of anaphylaxis induced by allergic reaction? Do you think everyone who ate these items together would experience the same symptoms? Can you personally eat each of these things individually with no ill effect?

 

I think the OP was more interested in a universal chemical reaction, something inimical to anyone who tried it (like putting some Clorox in your Windex to make it clean better and then inhaling chloramine vapor).

[John Cuthber]

Sounds more like this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scombroid_food_poisoning

caused by iffy tuna and the other things were a coincidence.

Also if your doctor said "Mysteriously your body's chemical reactions start to go backwards." then you need a better doctor.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaphylaxis

is fairly well understood.

[Dekan]

Sounds more like this

http://en.wikipedia...._food_poisoning

caused by iffy tuna and the other things were a coincidence.

Also if your doctor said "Mysteriously your body's chemical reactions start to go backwards." then you need a better doctor.

 

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Anaphylaxis

is fairly well understood.

 

The above posts are very interesting, and have caused me to wonder this:

 

Humans seem to have the widest range of diet of any species on Earth. We jump in and eat all kinds of things. In contrast to other animals, who are much more specific in their diets. For example, a cat won't look at brussel-sprouts in any circumstances. It would rather die than eat them!

 

It's true that a kitten can be brought up to eat some dubious items. Like Marmite-smeared bread-crusts. And even Mars chocolate bars.

 

But there seems to be an inherent limit to what non-human species will consume. They seem to know, intuitively, what foods are good for them, and what foods are toxic. Whereas humans will eat anything, if it's served up presentably.

 

Do humans have any instinctive aversion to a thing which looks edible, but may be toxic?

[JMJones0424]

Humans seem to have the widest range of diet of any species on Earth. We jump in and eat all kinds of things. In contrast to other animals, who are much more specific in their diets. For example, a cat won't look at brussel-sprouts in any circumstances. It would rather die than eat them!

 

It's true that a kitten can be brought up to eat some dubious items. Like Marmite-smeared bread-crusts. And even Mars chocolate bars.

 

Cats are obligate carnivores, so they get all of the nutrition they need only from eating other animals and can't digest plant material. I can think of two animals off the top of my head that can safely eat a wider variety of foods than humans: chickens and pigs.

 

But there seems to be an inherent limit to what non-human species will consume. They seem to know, intuitively, what foods are good for them, and what foods are toxic. Whereas humans will eat anything, if it's served up presentably.

 

Horses are notorious for eating poisonous plants. Cows (and other ruminants) will preferably graze on legumes and if not treated, they can die from "pasture bloat" where the sudden excess of nitrogen disrupts their ability to "offgas".