http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/2 ... aches_PitsBe Aware Of These Foods & Preparations:
1. Yuca, also known as cassava, is a starchy root and a major source of carbohydrates in subtropical areas. It should never be eaten raw because yuca contains linamarin and lotaustralin, which is very toxic. Improper preperation of yuca can also lead to cyanide intoxication, which in some cases affects one's ability to walk.
2. Kidney beans have the highest level of the toxin phytohemagglutinin (PHA) than any other bean. And they contain enough of this toxin to cause acute symptoms, even if only a few raw beans are consumed. To be safe, the beans should be soaked for a few hours first, the water discarded and then cooked for at least 10 minutes before being consumed.
3. As you probably know, the flesh of the cherry fruit is not harmful, but the seed inside the pit, when crushed, chewed, or even slightly injured, produces prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide). With this in mind, try to refrain from chewing on the seeds.
4. It's true, our favorite starch can make us sick. But not just any old potato, only green potatoes. Green spots indicate that concentrations of solanine, a nerve toxin, are present. If ingested in large amounts, it can make you feel sick and can even cause paralysis of the central nervous system.
5. The flower of the elderberry isn't poisonous, but the leaves, stems and seeds are. They contain a bitter alkaloid and glycoside that can make you ill. Be sure to stay clear of the bush, just grab the flowers to make some soda syrup.
6. There's a reason that you don't eat the seeds of the apple (besides the fact that they don't taste good); it's because they're poisonous. Those little seeds contain amygdalin, and if you consume enough of them (which is pretty unlikely considering the quantity you'd need to ingest) you could be in trouble.
7. Raw lima beans contain limarin -- only a handful can be enough to make some people violently ill. These beans are very nutritious otherwise, just be sure to cook them through before adding them to your next meal.
8. While in the 1800s, the entire tomato was thought to be poisonous, it's now known that just the leaves of the tomato plant should be avoided. The leaves and stems of the tomato plant contain a chemical called "Glycoalkaloid" which causes extreme nervousness and stomach upsets.
9. It's known that the leaves of the rhubarb plant are poisonous, yet it's still unclear as to what exactly makes them dangerous for consumption. The leaves contain oxalate and anthraquinone glycosides, so it's thought that the combination of both compounds could be responsible.
10. There's about eighty-eight milligrams of cyanide in the average peach pit. But luckily, if you did swallow a peach pit, the hard shell covering the seed would protect you from ingesting the poison. And if you were to become contaminated from a seed, it would give you a stomach ache at worse.
Be mindful of these fruits and vegetables.
