How to Tell Poisonous Plants from Non-Poisonous Ones - Stop Getting It Wrong...

A couple in Chengdu ended up in the ICU

Just because they ate "okra"?

News recap

According to Deng Lei, deputy chief physician of the Emergency ICU at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, a few weeks ago, a couple in their forties were both admitted to the Emergency ICU of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital for emergency treatment.

"It took seven or eight people to restrain them!" After treatment by the medical team, the couple's condition gradually stabilized. The couple then said they had bought "okra" at the vegetable market and cooked and ate it for dinner.

They had mistakenly bought datura thinking it was okra.

Datura

In recent years, okra, due to its extremely high edible value,

has become a new favorite on people's dining tables

But what few people know is

there is a highly toxic plant -

datura, which looks very similar to okra

Okra

In recent years, because datura was mistaken for okra

news of accidental poisoning from eating it has also repeatedly appeared in newspapers

Are "poisonous vegetables" really far away from us?

Not at all

Many "poisonous vegetables" look very similar to edible vegetables

Pay attention and tell them apart when buying vegetables

Never mix them up!

In severe cases, it may be life-threatening!

West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University

also specifically published science education on how to tell poisonous vegetables apart

Next, let's highlight the key points!

Teaching you how to avoid the "pits" of these poisonous vegetables!

Taro vs Alocasia

Taro

Taro, which belongs to the same family as Alocasia

One of the common vegetables

Its surface mucus can cause allergies when it comes into contact with the skin

Taro cannot be eaten raw; its toxicity disappears after cooking

Alocasia

Alocasia, a plant of the genus Alocasia in the Araceae family

Also known as: Alocasia macrorrhizos, wild taro,

mountain taro, giant taro, tian yu, etc.

Because its flowers resemble Guanyin

and in humid environments it often drips water along the leaf edges, hence the name

Its corms and leaves have medicinal value, and it is mostly used for ornamental purposes

The whole Alocasia plant is toxic, with the rhizome being highly toxic

Skin contact can cause redness, swelling, itching, and pain

and even systemic symptoms

Contact with the eyes can cause conjunctivitis and, in severe cases, blindness

Accidental ingestion can cause drooling, numbness, a burning sensation in the stomach,

nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea

and even liver and kidney damage, suffocation, heart failure, etc.

Management of accidental ingestion: There is no specific antidote. Outside the hospital, use vinegar plus ginger water to rinse the mouth and induce vomiting, and send the person to the hospital immediately.

Gynura bicolor vs Fake Gynura bicolor

Gynura bicolor

A perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Gynura in the Asteraceae family

Also called purple-backed vegetable, cultivated in many places in China

Used medicinally or as food

A common dish in southern Sichuan is stir-fried pork liver with Gynura bicolor

Fake Gynura bicolor

Fake Gynura bicolor

Folk common names include "hua'er cai, jian zhong xiao, xue dang gui"

In the past, it was used in folk medicine to induce abortion

It has the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis

The leaf edges have curled teeth, and it is more slender than Gynura bicolor

It flowers, and has a bitter taste when chewed in the mouth

There have been cases of accidental ingestion and poisoning in areas such as Luzhou and Yibin

Patients develop

symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea

Ginseng vs Pokeweed

Ginseng

Ginseng, a perennial herbaceous plant of the Araliaceae family

Known as the "king of a hundred herbs"

A supreme tonic for "nourishing yin and tonifying the kidneys, and strengthening the body's foundation"

Pokeweed

Pokeweed, Phytolaccaceae

Also known as Phytolacca acinosa and Phytolacca americana

Also called large amaranth, earth ginseng, wild radish, rouge, etc.

The white fleshy root is used as medicine; the red root is highly toxic

For external use only

Pokeweed is quite toxic

Its components are mainly triterpenoid saponins

Also called pokeweed saponins, soluble in water

Taking it in large amounts can cause poisoning

Manifesting as nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea,

tachycardia, rapid breathing, slurred speech,

restlessness, hallucinations, convulsions, coma,

decreased blood pressure, dilated pupils

and death due to myocardial paralysis

Management of accidental ingestion: Vomiting can be induced, followed by immediately sending the person to the hospital.

Honeysuckle vs Gelsemium flower

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle, properly named Japanese honeysuckle

A herbaceous plant of the genus Lonicera in the Caprifoliaceae family

Because the flowers are white when they first open

and later turn yellow, it is named honeysuckle

A good medicine for clearing heat and detoxifying

Gelsemium flower

Gelsemium, also known as Hu man teng, duan chang cao,

chaoyang cao, da cha yao, da cha teng, he ban yao, wild kudzu, etc.

A woody vine of the Loganiaceae family, genus Gelsemium

Legend says it was the thing that poisoned Shennong to death

It contains a variety of alkaloids

With strong neurotoxicity

Mainly attacking the central nervous system and autonomic nervous system

Small doses can promote animal growth

In the early stage, poisoned individuals develop nausea, vomiting,

abdominal pain, drooling, and other gastrointestinal symptoms

Soon afterward, dizziness, flaccid weakness of the limbs,

decreased vision, double vision, difficulty swallowing,

coma, convulsions, and other neuromuscular symptoms appear

There are also ptosis, dilated pupils, and other signs

Atropine-like manifestations that are easily misdiagnosed

Most die from respiratory depression and multiple organ failure

Management of accidental ingestion: Induce vomiting, send to the hospital quickly; respiratory arrest is likely to occur, and magnesium sulfate is prohibited for inducing diarrhea.

Celery vs Anise

Celery

Celery, a plant of the Apiaceae family

One of the common vegetables

Poison hemlock

Anise is divided into short-fruited anise,

astilbe-leaved anise, and leather-leaved anise

Mainly distributed in Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, and Guizhou

Also distributed in Korea and Russia

The whole plant is toxic, with the mature seeds being the most toxic

The main toxic components are coniine,

N-methylconiine and cicutoxin

The toxic dose for humans is 3.0-6.0mg

The lethal dose is 120-150mg

Cicutoxin mainly excites the central nervous system

After accidental ingestion, one feels a burning sensation in the throat, salivation,

nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea,

weakness in the limbs, unsteady standing, difficulty swallowing and speaking,

dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, etc., and even death

Management of accidental ingestion: Induce vomiting and seek medical attention immediately.

In addition, some vegetables and fruits we often eat

may also hide dangers

Special attention should be paid in daily life

Daylily

Daylily, also known as golden needle vegetable or true golden flower, is a perennial herb of the order Liliales, family Liliaceae. Because of its delicious taste and rich content of vitamins, phosphorus, calcium, iron and other substances, it has become a well-known delicacy.

Dried daylily is non-toxic,while fresh daylily is rich in colchicine, which is oxidized in the body into the more toxic colchicine derivative, stimulating the digestive system and causing poisoning symptoms.If a patient develops dry throat, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or in severe cases bloody stools, bloody urine, reduced urine output and other discomforts within several minutes to more than 10 hours after eating fresh daylily, it indicates poisoning.

Dried daylily is non-toxic

Eating dried daylily, according to researchdehydrated daylily steamed at 95°C for 60s can achieve the best edible value and safety; if you insist on eating fresh daylily, eat less than one liang (50g) at a time, and soak it in clean water for 2h before eating to dissolve out as much colchicine as possible.

Management of accidental ingestion: Induce vomiting immediately, then seek medical attention. With timely treatment, the prognosis is generally good.

Houttuynia cordata

Houttuynia cordata, also known as zhe'ergen, pig nostril, dog ear, etc., is a herbaceous plant of the family Saururaceae. Houttuynia cordata is widely recorded in traditional Chinese medicine texts,and has effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling, inhibiting bacteria and viruses, and boosting immunity. It is commonly used as medicine and even more commonly seen on the dining table.

Oral use of Houttuynia cordata occasionally causes dry mouth, heartburn, palpitations, and hand tremors,and after excessive intake, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, profuse sweating, difficulty breathing, coma, and shock may occur. Houttuynia cordata has low toxicity and contains aristolactam; long-term large consumption can cause irreversible kidney damage and lead to upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.Since June 2006, Houttuynia cordata injection has been banned.

Management: Acute discomfort is mainly allergic, and symptomatic supportive care is the main approach.

Ginkgo

Ginkgo, also known as ginkgo biloba, and also called duck neck, lingmian, Buddha fingernail, is the seed of the deciduous tree Ginkgo biloba of the genus Ginkgo, family Ginkgoaceae. Inside the shell is a yellow-white kernel, rich in nutrients, sweet and fragrant, and can be boiled or stir-fried.

The toxicity of ginkgo is greatest in the green embryo,and the kernel contains trace amounts of cyanogenic glycosides, so eating too much can easily cause acute poisoning.Its toxins are soluble in water and highly toxic; exposure to heat can reduce toxicity, so symptoms of poisoning are more pronounced in those who eat it raw.

Poisoned patients mainly show symptoms of the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract, and occasionally peripheral nerve dysfunction, with dizziness, dry mouth, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and even visual spinning, fear, listlessness, convulsions, and twitching. Onset generally occurs 1-12h after eating, and in longer cases up to 16h. The younger the age, the more susceptible to poisoning. For infants, eating 10 seeds can be fatal, and for children aged 3-7, 30-40 seeds can be fatal.

The key is to eat only a very... very small amount! (Putting a few in a stew is enough, peel off the green embryo and throw it away, and do not let children eat it casually; for those who eat ginkgo leaves, it is even harder to understand. Just one sentence: it will also cause poisoning!)

Management: Induce vomiting and seek medical attention immediately.

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