Cyanide is a chemical compound that has a very strong and dangerous poison, because within minutes to hours it can cause death. In ancient times, low levels of cyanide could only be found in nature. But now, cyanide has been produced by humans in solid, liquid and gas forms.
The lethal dose of cyanide is 1-2 milligrams. Even if the levels are low or less than this number, cyanide is still dangerous because it can trigger heart disease, coma and even death.
Cyanide can generally be found in paper, plastic, textile, vehicle exhaust and cigarette smoke. However, it turns out that there are several foods that are often consumed but have natural levels of cyanide. What are those foods?
1. Cassava
Cassava/Photo: Pexels/Daniel Dan
Eating raw cassava, especially bitter cassava, is very dangerous because it contains cyanide poison. Quoting the POM Agency, sweet cassava contains less than 50 milligrams per kilogram, while bitter cassava contains more than 50 milligrams of cyanide.
To eliminate the toxic levels in cassava, you only need to peel the cassava skin, soak it in warm clean water and cook it thoroughly, either boiled or grilled.
2. Ceri
Cherries/Photo: Pexels/Julia Filirovska
The large hard seeds in the middle of the cherry contain prussic acid or cyanide which is dangerous for the body. To prevent cyanide poisoning, you should avoid chewing cherry seeds and remove the seeds before consuming cherries.
3. Apricot
Aprikot/Photo: Pexels/Alla Melashtchenko
Apricot seeds are believed to treat cancer and have detoxifying properties. However, it turns out that apricot seeds naturally contain cyanogenic glycosides which, if consumed excessively, can turn into cyanide poison.
According to Medical News Today, the recommended consumption of apricot seeds is only around 6-10 seeds per day. If it is more than this amount, it can increase the risk of exposure to cyanide poison. So, don’t consume more apricot seeds than the recommended amount, Beauties!
4. Appeal
Apel/Photo: Pexels/Iryna Velychko
Apple seeds contain the substance amygdalin which will turn into cyanide if the apple seeds are chewed. However, you don’t need to worry if you accidentally swallow apple seeds because to reach a dangerous dose of cyanide you need at least 200 apple seeds.
Apart from that, the substance amygdalin also has a protective layer. So, as long as the protective layer is not damaged, you will not be exposed to cyanide.
5. Bitter Almonds
Kacang almond/Photo: Pexels/Karolina Grabowska
Bitter almonds contain quite a lot of amygdalin compared to sweet almonds. If bitter almonds are consumed raw, they can break down into cyanide.
But you don’t need to worry, the cyanide in almonds can be reduced and is safe to consume if it has gone through processing processes such as boiling or roasting.
Reported by the Ministry of Health, cyanide poisoning can cause seizures, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness and even the heart stopping. Generally, the initial symptoms of poisoning can be characterized by nausea, headaches, seizures and decreased consciousness.
These are foods that contain natural cyanide which can cause various health problems and can even lead to death. Make sure you always process food properly and consume it within reasonable limits, Beauties!
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Rizanatul Fitri