Potentially toxic

Choose your poison: Discover the 12 riskiest foods to eat

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Some foods can kill you. And no, we’re not referring to the usual suspects like refined sugars, fast food, and ultra-processed products. There are a number of foods that, despite their popularity and many health benefits, are capable of causing painful and unpleasant symptoms. From seemingly harmless potatoes to crunchy almonds, these tricky ingredients can put you in danger if undercooked or consumed in excess. Check out our list of 12 foods that, although commonly eaten, can be surprisingly dangerous.

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Mashed, fried, or baked, potatoes offer endless possibilities. As one of the most commonly consumed vegetables in the U.S., they are as delicious as they are versatile. But not all potatoes are safe to eat. If you ever come across green or sprouted potatoes, be very careful.

Potatoes with green skin or sprouts can be dangerous due to naturally occurring toxic compounds: solanine and chaconine. These chemicals are produced by the plant as a defense mechanism against pests, but they can be highly harmful to humans. Symptoms of poisoning may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, hallucinations, and even delirium.

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Nutmeg is a spice native to Indonesia, widely used in cuisines around the world for its aromatic, warm, and slightly sweet flavor. Although it has some interesting health benefits, it’s important to consume it in moderation, as it can cause serious adverse effects, especially during pregnancy.

The component that makes nutmeg potentially dangerous is myristicin, a naturally occurring compound that affects the nervous system. In small doses, nutmeg is perfectly safe. However, in large amounts, it can cause symptoms ranging from dizziness, dry mouth, and nausea to convulsions and hallucinations. So just remember: to use it in moderation!

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Rhubarb is incredibly easy to grow at home and is often used to make delicious desserts. Who can resist a slice of warm rhubarb tart paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? But like all good things, it should be enjoyed in moderation.

You should be especially careful with rhubarb because the green leaves attached to the tasty stalks contain a toxic compound. Specifically, oxalic acid, which in large quantities causes nausea and kidney problems. Although you would have to eat a very large portion of the leaves to die, it is best to avoid them.

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Consuming raw cashews straight from the tree can be very risky. This nut we all love contains urushiol, an oil also found in poison ivy, which can cause serious health issues, including skin reactions, gastrointestinal discomfort, swelling, and blistering.

While allergic reactions to urushiol are relatively common, especially in the U.S., ingesting it in large amounts can be dangerous and even fatal. But don't worry; the cashews we normally buy in the supermarket have been thoroughly treated to remove the poison. Just stay away from the trees!

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At first glance, tomatoes seem harmless. We use them in everything from salads to soups and sauces. However, some parts of the tomato plant can be dangerous. Specifically, the leaves, roots, and stems contain a chemical called tomatine, a glycoalkaloid that can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, confusion, drowsiness, and even depression.

Fortunately, moderate amounts of tomatine don’t typically cause toxic effects in humans. You’d have to eat more than a pound of tomato leaves for it to become truly life-threatening. Interestingly, when properly cooked, tomato leaves can be used to enhance the flavor of certain recipes.

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Cinnamon is one of the most used spices in the culinary world, and it is also valued for its medicinal properties, which have been used since ancient times. However, despite its many benefits, it is important to be careful, as consuming cinnamon in excess can be harmful.

In particular, the Cassia variety of cinnamon can be toxic to the liver because it contains a compound called coumarin. This substance can cause direct damage to liver cells, leading to inflammation and necrosis. Some of the symptoms that may reveal liver damage from cinnamon are fatigue, pain in the liver area, jaundice, nausea, and vomiting.

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Cassava —also known as _yuca_—is a root vegetable similar to the potato and is widely cultivated in tropical regions such as the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and several African countries. It has high nutritional value and is a rich source of complex carbohydrates. However, cassava can be dangerous to our health if consumed raw or not cooked properly.

To ensure its safety, cassava should be peeled and soaked in water for 24 hours before cooking, as it contains a toxin that produces cyanide when metabolized in the body. Although acute poisoning is rare, prolonged consumption can cause serious nutritional and physiological issues, such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and sleep disorders.

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Have you ever heard of "fried rice syndrome"? The average American consumes about 27 pounds of rice per year, so calling this staple a potentially dangerous food might sound controversial. But don’t worry—you can still enjoy rice as long as you take a few precautions.

Raw rice may be contaminated with a spore-forming bacterium called Bacillus cereus, which can cause symptoms of food poisoning. To reduce the risk, make sure to cook rice thoroughly and avoid leaving it at room temperature for extended periods. Reheating won’t destroy the toxins produced by the bacteria, so proper storage is key to staying safe.

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Who doesn’t like almonds? Widely used in cooking and baking, almonds have been one of the most popular nuts in the world for centuries. While so-called "sweet" almonds are perfectly safe, "bitter" almonds can be dangerous, even though they have the strongest scent and most intense flavor.

The compound that makes bitter almonds toxic is amygdalin. When metabolized, amygdalin releases cyanide, making these nuts potentially deadly to humans. To be safe, bitter almonds must be processed to remove the poison. In fact, in the United States, it’s illegal to sell raw bitter almonds. Did you know that?

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Eggplants have their fans and detractors. Whether you like them or not, eating this vegetable is very beneficial for your health due to its high fiber and antioxidant content. But did you know that raw or undercooked eggplants can sometimes cause unpleasant symptoms?

Eggplants contain a chemical called solanine, which can be toxic in large amounts and may cause headaches and digestive issues. But it's not all bad news. Solanine evaporates with heat, so a well-prepared, ripe eggplant is perfectly safe to eat.

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Castor oil is a vegetable oil used for culinary, cosmetic, and medicinal purposes. The castor plant is native to the Mediterranean, North Africa, and India, where communities have used its oil as a laxative and to stimulate childbirth for millennia. Today, the food industry uses castor oil as an additive in chocolates, candies, and various food supplements.

While castor oil offers numerous health benefits, consuming it in large quantities can be harmful. It’s important to note that ricin, a highly toxic poison, is found in the castor bean but not in the oil itself. However, improperly processed castor oil may contain traces of ricin. In fact, studies show that taking it constantly can cause irritation and severe damage to the intestinal lining.

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Mushrooms are a very delicious and versatile ingredient often used in cuisines all over the world. In nature, there are many varieties of mushrooms, but only some are edible, while others can be highly poisonous.

Consuming certain wild mushrooms can cause severe poisoning and even death within a few hours. Typical symptoms of wild mushroom poisoning include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and diarrhea. If you or someone you know accidentally eats a wild mushroom and develops any of these symptoms, you should go to the nearest hospital as soon as possible.

Clockwork wonders

10 curious timekeeping methods in history

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Measuring time has always been a challenge. Before the advent of modern clocks, how did people keep track of the hours? Well, they had to rely on a mix of strange yet ingenious methods. While these early timekeeping devices lacked the precision we expect today from an average clock, they were still effective tools for organizing daily life and gaining a sense of time's passage. Here are 10 quirky timekeeping methods that shaped how we understand time today.

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The ancient sundial relied on the position of the sun to tell time. A vertical stick, or gnomon, cast a shadow across a circular plate marked with hours of the day. As the Earth rotated, the shadow moved, indicating the time.

Sundials are one of the oldest timekeeping devices, dating back over 4,000 years.

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Water clocks, also known as clepsydra, date back to ancient civilizations like Egypt and Greece. Water would drip steadily from one container to another, and the water level in the container indicated the passage of time.

Though simple, water clocks were essential, especially in places where sundials weren’t efficient at night or on cloudy days.

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Candle clocks were quite literally a burning representation of time. Wax candles would be molded with markings that melted away as time passed, revealing a rough estimate of how long the candle had been burning.

Often used in medieval times, these candles allowed people to track the passage of time with enough accuracy for everyday tasks like cooking, especially in the absence of better methods.

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The Inca civilization was built around the worship of the Sun, so it's no surprise they developed several solar dial-like systems —often integrated into the architecture itself— to tell time during the day.

For longer periods, they relied on a complex system of knotted cords called quipu, which served as both a data storage and record-keeping method. It could also function as a calendar, making it into a sort of "ancient computer."

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Hourglasses have been used since ancient Greece as a portable timekeeping tool. Two glass bulbs connected by a narrow passage allowed sand to flow from one bulb to the other at a constant rate, measuring short periods of time.

These simple devices were particularly useful for tasks that required short intervals, like timing speeches or controlling the length of a workday.

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In coastal regions, some cultures used the tides to keep time. Tidal clocks tracked the regular rise and fall of the ocean's tides, which could vary depending on the phase of the moon.

These clocks were especially important for people living near the sea who needed to schedule tasks such as fishing or docking boats.

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Star clocks, also known as nocturnals, were used by ancient navigators and astronomers to track the time based on the positions of stars. By measuring the angles of stars relative to the horizon, one could determine the time during the night.

This method was vital for long-distance sailors, especially before the invention of accurate marine clocks.

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In medieval Europe, bell towers played a significant role in timekeeping. Since not everyone had a precise timekeeping device at hand, large bells would toll at set intervals to signal important times of day, such as the start of work or religious events.

These tolls became an integral part of daily life in cities and towns, marking the rhythms of the community.

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Mechanical clocks, emerging in Europe in the 14th century, used a system of gears and weights to keep time. These clocks improved over earlier methods, providing a much more reliable and accurate way to track hours.

Initially, mechanical clocks were installed in church towers and monasteries to mark the hours of prayer. Their popularity grew, and by the 17th century, mechanical clocks became commonplace in homes and businesses.

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Invented in 1656 by Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens, the pendulum clock revolutionized timekeeping with its incredible accuracy. A swinging pendulum regulated the movement of the clock's gears, ensuring precise time measurement.

Pendulum clocks became central to scientific research, navigation, and industrial time regulation, with some designs still in use today.