Raw foods get a lot of hype for their nutritional power, and it's deserved in many cases. While a 100 percent raw diet's health value is questionable, cooking or overcooking does destroy some of the vitamin content in certain foods. For a person eating the standard American diet heavy on meat, dairy, and overcooked vegetables, adding more raw fruits and veggies will certainly do more good than harm. But don't raid the farm just yet – some foods should never be eaten raw. Many of the compounds that make plants on this list too toxic to eat raw are part of their defense mechanisms. Toxins like deadly ricin in castor beans or hydrogen cyanide in almonds are designed to deter pests. To plants just trying to survive, we come across as much of a pest as slugs or aphids do. Some of the foods that you should never eat raw are on this list because they're poisonous without cooking. Not all of the toxic foods here will kill the average healthy adult. Some will just give you a wretched belly ache or other mild to moderate symptoms. And one of these foods isn't unsafe, but it needs to be treated to keep it from tasting terrible. Read on, and while you're at it, go ahead and put that water on to boil.
10.Kidney Beans
Raw beans contain proteins called lectins that break down with cooking. Not all lectins are toxic; some are even beneficial. The lectin in kidney beans, though – called phytohemagglutinin – is harmful at high doses. There are other beans that contain phytohemagglutinin, but red kidney beans contain them in the highest concentration by far. When it comes to this toxin, it's all about dosage. Just a handful of raw kidney beans is enough to cause gastrointestinal problems like nausea and vomiting. The more you eat, the more intense your symptoms will be. Some folks have even been hospitalized with red kidney bean poisoning. You don't have to give up your red beans and rice just yet. To destroy the lectins in kidney beans, you just need to soak, drain, and then cook them on the stovetop. Stovetop cooking reaches higher temperatures than a slow cooker, and kidney beans really do need to be boiled to be completely safe. To prepare dry kidney beans safely, soak for at least five hours, drain and rinse, then boil for at least 30 minutes on the stove.
9.Bitter Almonds
Do you remember the Whole Foods almond recall in late 2014? The recalled almonds were different from the ones we normally eat. The almonds we usually see in stores are known as sweet almonds, but their close cousin – the bitter almond – contains dangerous levels of hydrogen cyanide. Bitter almonds aren't very common in the U.S., but in Europe many chefs love them. Children who ingest just a few raw bitter almonds are at risk of death. Adults can eat far more and survive, though you would experience some symptoms that might make you wish you hadn't. Hydrogen cyanide poisoning includes symptoms from dizziness and headache to vomiting and convulsions, depending on how much you've eaten. As with all of the foods on this list, proper cooking is the key to making bitter almonds safe to ingest. Blanching or roasting destroys the hydrogen cyanide in bitter almonds, but there doesn't seem to be any solid research on what temperatures you need to reach or for how long. If you're planning to cook with bitter almonds, your best bet is to follow a tried-and-true recipe.
8.Potatoes
Have you ever wondered why raw foodies don't eat potatoes? It's not because of an aversion to carbs; it's for safety reasons. Raw potatoes are potentially toxic because of a compound called solanine. Not every potato contains enough solanine to kill you, but the risk is high enough that it's not really worth taking. In general, green potatoes – even ones just a little green near the skin – or ones that are starting to sprout eyes have a higher solanine content. Symptoms of potato poisoning include stomach pain, headache, and paralysis. Potatoes with a very high concentration of solanine will have some green discoloration when you cut into them, and you shouldn't eat a green potato, even cooked. Even if the raw potato you're eating doesn't have a lot of solanine, you're still better off cooking it. Uncooked potato is rich with resistant starch. While some resistant starch can be good for your gut, the amount in raw potato is enough to give most people unpleasant side effects like severe gas and bloating. Cooking potatoes properly isn't hard. Roast, mash, boil or even grill them, and you won't have to worry about any of these things.
7.Taro
People eat both the leaves and roots of the taro plant, but you shouldn't eat either one raw. Think of taro root as the potato's healthier cousin. It has more fiber than a potato and is a good source of potassium, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin E, B vitamins, and trace minerals. Taro gets some solid superfood cred, but make sure to fully cook this starchy root vegetable before eating. The leaves of the taro plant are no nutritional slumps, either. They taste sort of like spinach but have a hardier texture. They're also good sources of fiber, vitamins A and C, and protein. Raw taro contains calcium oxalate, and you do not want any part of this compound. Think of it as tiny knives that cover the leaves and root of the taro plant. When you eat uncooked taro, the calcium oxalate makes your mouth feel numb. Eat too much, and you'll feel like you're choking. This toxin also contributes to kidney stones. Thoroughly cooking taro leaves and roots destroys enough of the calcium oxalate to make them edible. Because this compound can also irritate your skin, you should wear gloves when you're handling the raw plant.
6.Cassava
Cassava goes by many names: arrowroot, manioc, tapioca, kassave, mandioca and yuca, but it's different from yucca, an inedible, ornamental plant. Whatever you call it, you should only eat it cooked, and only eat the root if it was peeled before cooking. As with taro, you can eat both the roots and leaves of the cassava plant. This native South American plant is easy to grow in humid climates, and the root is a good source of nutrients, which is why it's now cultivated across South America and parts of Africa. Cassava leaves are also edible when cooked. The toxic culprit in uncooked cassava is a group of compounds that turn into hydrogen cyanide in your body. Hydrogen cyanide interferes with your body's use of oxygen, basically causing you to drown without the trouble of being submerged. To cook cassava roots properly, you should always peel them first and discard the peel. Then, you can fry them like you would potato chips or french fries. You can also boil the roots just like potatoes, but make sure that they're completely cooked through. If the cassava that you have seems bitter, you can grate and soak the roots before cooking. Cassava leaves don't require quite as much care, but you still need to cook them. Boiled thoroughly, they're safe to eat and taste similar to collards or other hardy dark, leafy greens.
审稿:橘子 编辑:橘子 校对:王玲 来源:前十网