The relationship of many people with the act of cooking tends to differ a lot. For many, cooking is therapeutic, for others, just a necessity. For some, it's great if it's done without obligation. At the same time, there are more innovative and inventive people, others more conservative.
However, regardless of their cook profile, they all need to be very careful when preparing the foods listed below, as they can be harmful or even lethal. check these foods that are deadly or dangerous!
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Foods that can be dangerous and even lethal
See, now, the list of foods that should be very well prepared or avoided:
- Cassava
Cassava, manioc or cassava, manioc, castelinha, uaipi, poor bread, maniveira… Each region has its own particular way of naming this plant, which is among the foods considered the basis of Brazilian. What many people don't know is that cassava has roots and leaves rich in linamarin, a chemical compound that releases cyanide. Cyanide, when absorbed by humans, turns into hydrogen cyanide, a toxic poison that can kill in a few minutes by suffocation.
- apricot seed
Although not as well known, the apricot kernel is also a risky food. Like cassava, mentioned above, it is also capable of producing cyanide. The reason for this is that it has amygdalin in its composition, a vegetable toxin that, when linked to human enzymes, is converted into cyanide. That way, to protect yourself, just remove the seeds before eating the fruit or using it in preparations.
- casu marzu cheese
”Formaggio marcio”. In Italy, the meaning of this phrase is: rotten cheese. The reason casu marzu is so named is that it is literally made through a process of decomposition. The process begins with a cheese made from sheep's milk, matured in direct contact with the environment, so that flies leave larvae that will decompose this food.
If the larvae are not properly removed, they can cause gastrointestinal problems. As a matter of public health, this cheese is banned in the European Union, but it still has fans (even those who know this super unusual method of preparation!).
- Red bean
The red bean has this name due to its color which, in turn, is due to the large amount of iron found in this legume. However, in addition to the mineral iron, in its raw form, it is also rich in phytohemagglutinin lectin. However, humans cannot digest this glycoprotein. As a consequence, we may experience gastrointestinal discomforts such as nausea and diarrhea.
To protect yourself from these effects, the ideal is to cook the beans a lot – a process that causes protein denaturation (that is, its “inactivation”). Prefer to cook after soaking the beans for approximately 6 hours.