A
World Health Organization (WHO) report revealed that eating processed meat can
lead to bowel cancer, while red meats are probably carcinogenic. International
Agency for Research on Cancer, WHO's specialized cancer agency, has categorized
processed meats like hot dog, sausage and bacon in the same group with tobacco,
asbestos and diesel fumes, which are proven carcinogenic agents. Here are some other
foods that have the potential to make you very sick or even kill you.
Raw milk
The milk we buy from the supermarket is
pasteurized, but there are people who drink and make cheese from raw milk. Milk
that hasn’t been pasteurized (heated to a high temperature and rapidly cooled
down) is far more likely to contain salmonella, E. coli and listeria.
African bullfrog
Bullfrogs are usually considered a delicacy in certain
African nations, where people eat the whole frog, not just the legs. However,
they contain a range of toxic substances harmful to humans, especially young
frogs who are yet to breed — they carry a toxin that can lead to kidney failure.
Live octopus
Most of us prefer our food to be dead
when it reaches our plate, but not in Korea. There you can order live octopus,
which is chopped up and seasoned while still alive. The danger is the suction
cups, which are still active and can stick to your throat, potentially
suffocating you.
Wild mushrooms
Some wild mushrooms look innocent, but
are actually lethal, like the Death Cap (pictured). Take a bite and you're
likely to experience abdominal pain and vomiting. Eaten in large amounts, they
can cause liver, kidney and heart damage, which may ultimately lead to death.
Fugu (puffer fish)
Puffer fish, or “fugu,” is the world’s
most dangerous delicacy. Chefs in Japan go through several years of training to
learn how to remove the toxic parts of the fish, which are 1,200 times more
poisonous than cyanide. Eating just a tiny amount (a pin head) of the wrong bit
can be lethal.
Ackee
Loved in Jamaica, ackee fruit must only
be eaten when fully ripe and properly prepared. Eat too soon and toxins in the
fruit can result in severe vomiting and can even lead to death.
.
Peanuts
Peanuts are fine as long as you don’t
have an allergy. Peanuts account for more food allergy deaths than any other
food. Pretty scary when you consider it affects around one percent people.
Raw cashews
Even if you don’t have a nut allergy,
never eat a cashew nut from the tree. Raw cashews contain a toxic substance
that can be fatal, if eaten in large quantities. The raw cashews in
supermarkets have been steamed to remove the dangerous chemical.
Bean sprouts
Bean sprouts are one of the worst foods
for harboring E. coli, salmonella, and listeria — bacteria which thrive in the
same warm, humid conditions that sprouts are grown in. Bean sprouts grown in
Germany were identified as the likely cause of an outbreak of E. coli that
killed 22 people and sickened hundreds more in Europe in 2011.
Shellfish
Shellfish can be incredibly dangerous if
you have an allergy. While some people experience hives, itching, swelling,
wheezing, and abdominal pain, others can go into anaphylactic shock, which
stops them from breathing and can be life-threatening without medication.
