While it certainly would not be a great idea to scare people away from eating nutritious foods that can lead to better health, a fully-informed consumer is better able to make choices that could help them avoid sickness, injury, and in extreme cases, death when eating certain foods. Dangerous toxins and compounds may be lurking in places you would least expect them, so it’s good to know where you should exercise a bit of caution, even if you are eating something you thought could never harm you. These are some foods that can be so extremely dangerous.
1. Rhubarb
This vegetable is probably not one you will find in the fridge all the time but is popular with some folks who enjoy making things like jams, jellies, and desserts like strawberry-rhubarb pie. What’s tricky about rhubarb is that only the stalks are safe to eat. The leaves have a chemical known as oxalic acid in them, which is used to make things like bleach and rust removers, which gives you an idea of how potent it can be. As might be expected, ingesting this stuff can cause burning in the mouth and throat, and if you eat enough, it can cause vomiting, convulsions and even death.