How to tell toxic plants from non-toxic plants? Stop getting it wrong

A couple in Chengdu was admitted to the ICU

just because they ate "okra"?

News review

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 two gradually stabilized. The couple then said they had bought "okra" at the vegetable market and cooked and ate it for dinner.

They mistook datura for okra and bought it.

△Datura

In recent years, because of its extremely high edible value, okra

has become a new favorite on people's dining tables

But few people know that

there is a highly toxic plant --

datura, which looks very much like 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 "toxic vegetables" far away from us?

Not at all

Many "toxic vegetables" look very much like edible vegetables

When buying vegetables, pay attention and distinguish them

Never confuse them!

In serious cases, it may endanger life!

Sichuan University West China Fourth Hospital

also specially published popular science knowledge on how to distinguish toxic vegetables

Next, let's highlight the key points!

Teaching you to stay away from the "pits" of these toxic vegetables!

Taro vs

Alocasia macrorrhizos

Taro

Taro, which belongs to the same family as Alocasia macrorrhizos

One of the common vegetables

Contact of its surface mucus with the skin can cause allergies

Taro cannot be eaten raw; its toxicity disappears after cooking

Alocasia macrorrhizos

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

Aliases: Alocasia, wild taro,

mountain taro, giant root taro, celestial taro, etc.

Because its flowers resemble Guanyin

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

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

The whole plant of Alocasia macrorrhizos is toxic, and the rhizome is 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 salivation, numbness, burning sensation in the stomach,

nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea

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

Management of accidental ingestion

There is no specific antidote. Outside the hospital, one may rinse the mouth with vinegar plus ginger water, induce vomiting, and immediately seek medical attention.

Gynura bicolor

vs fake Gynura bicolor

Gynura bicolor

A perennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family, Gynura genus

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

Medicinal or edible

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

Fake Gynura bicolor

Fake Gynura bicolor

Commonly known among the people as "hua'er cai, jian zhong xiao, xue dang gui"

Previously used in folk medicine for abortion

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

Its leaf edges have curled teeth and are more slender than Gynura bicolor

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

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 in the Araliaceae family

It has the reputation of "king of a hundred herbs"

It is a supreme tonic for "nourishing yin and tonifying the kidney, supporting healthy qi and consolidating the constitution"

Pokeweed

Pokeweed, in the Phytolaccaceae family

Also known as Phytolacca acinosa and Phytolacca americana

Aliases: large amaranth, earth ginseng, wild radish, rouge, etc.

The white enlarged root is used as medicine, while the red root is highly toxic

Only for external use

Pokeweed is quite toxic

Its main components are triterpenoid saponin compounds

Also called pokeweed saponins, they can dissolve in water

Taking it in large amounts can cause poisoning

Manifesting as nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea,

tachycardia, rapid breathing, unclear speech,

restlessness, hallucinations, convulsions, coma,

decreased blood pressure, dilated pupils

Myocardial paralysis occurs and leads to death

Management of accidental ingestion

Vomiting may be induced, then seek medical attention immediately.

Honeysuckle

vs Gelsemium elegans flower

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle, properly named Japanese honeysuckle

A herbaceous plant in the Caprifoliaceae family, Lonicera genus

Because the flowers are white when they first open

and later turn yellow, it is named honeysuckle

It is a good medicine for clearing heat and detoxifying

Gelsemium elegans flower

Gelsemium elegans, aliases: humanteng, duanchangcao,

chaoyangcao, large tea medicine, large tea vine, heban medicine, wild kudzu, etc.

A woody vine in the Loganiaceae family, Gelsemium genus

Legend says it was the thing that poisoned Shennong to death

It contains a variety of alkaloids

It has strong neurotoxicity

It mainly attacks the central nervous system and autonomic nervous system

Small doses can promote animal growth

In the early stage, poisoned individuals develop digestive tract symptoms such as nausea, vomiting,

abdominal pain, and salivation

Soon afterward appear neuromuscular symptoms such as dizziness, flaccid weakness of the limbs,

decreased vision, double vision, difficulty swallowing,

coma, and convulsions

There are also manifestations such as ptosis and dilated pupils

Atropine-like manifestations make misdiagnosis easy

Most die from respiratory depression and multiple organ failure

Management of accidental ingestion

Induce vomiting, seek medical attention quickly; respiratory arrest is likely to occur, and magnesium sulfate is prohibited for purgation.

Celery vs

Anise

Celery

Celery, a plant of the Apiaceae family

It is 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, 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 stimulates the central nervous system

After accidental ingestion, there is a burning sensation in the throat, salivation,

nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea,

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

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

Handling of accidental ingestion

Induce vomiting, and send to hospital immediately.

In addition, some vegetables and fruits we often eat

may also hide dangers

Special attention should be paid at ordinary times

Daylily

Daylily, also known as golden needle vegetable and true gold flower, is a perennial herb of the order Liliales, family Liliaceae. Because of its delicious taste and its richness in 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.

After eating fresh daylily, patients develop dry throat, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea within a few minutes to more than 10 hours, and in severe cases bloody stool, blood in urine, oliguria and other discomforts, indicating poisoning.

Dried daylily is non-toxic

Eating dried daylily, according to research

Dehydrated daylily steamed at 95°C for 60s can achieve the best edible value and safety

; if you really must eat 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.

Handling of accidental ingestion

Induce vomiting immediately, then send to hospital; with timely treatment the prognosis is generally good.

Houttuynia cordata

Houttuynia cordata, also known as zhe'ergen, pig nostril, dog point ear, etc., is a herbaceous plant of the family Saururaceae. Houttuynia cordata is widely recorded in traditional Chinese medicine classics,

and has effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling, inhibiting bacteria and fighting viruses, and boosting immunity. It is common as medicine and even more common on the dining table.

Oral use of Houttuynia cordata occasionally causes dry mouth, heartburn, palpitations, hand tremor,

and after overdose, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, heavy sweating, difficulty breathing, coma, and shock. Houttuynia cordata has low toxicity and contains aristolactam; long-term heavy consumption can cause irreversible kidney damage and lead to upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.

Since June 2006, Houttuynia cordata injection has been suspended.

Handling

Acute discomfort is mainly allergic, and supportive symptomatic treatment is the main approach.

Ginkgo nut

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

The toxicity of ginkgo nut is greatest in the green embryo

，

The kernel contains trace amounts of cyanogenic glycosides, and eating too many can easily cause acute poisoning.

Its toxin is soluble in water and strongly toxic; exposure to heat can reduce the toxicity, so those who eat it raw have more pronounced poisoning symptoms.

Poisoned patients mainly show central nervous system and gastrointestinal symptoms, and occasionally peripheral nerve dysfunction, with dizziness, dry mouth, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and even visual rotation, fear, listlessness, convulsions, twitching, etc. Onset is generally 1-12h after eating, and in some cases up to 16h. The younger the age, the more prone to poisoning; for infants, eating 10 in a row can be fatal, and for children aged 3-7, 30-40 can be fatal.

The key is a very... very small amount!

(Putting a few in a stew pot is enough, peel off the green embryo and throw it away, and don't let children eat it carelessly; as for those who go eat ginkgo leaves, that is even harder to understand; just one word: it will also cause poisoning!)

Handling

Induce vomiting, and send to hospital immediately.

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