Mushrooms are widely known for their great taste and amazing health benefits. Packed with a ton of essential vitamins and minerals, they make an excellent addition to your diet, adding flavour to many recipes.
Being a vegan, vegetarian or on a plant-based diet, there is every chance that you must have had a mushroom experience or mushroom is part of your diet. However, as great as mushrooms can be, do you know mushrooms can make you sick?
I am not trying to scare you neither am I trying to stop you from consuming mushrooms, as a matter of fact, I am an advocate for mushroom nutrition and will be more than happy to see you make room for mushrooms on your plate but I also want you to be safe while you eat this nutrient powerhouse.
Side note: the title of this article should have been “how not to die or get sick from mushrooms but it will be too obvious. Wouldn’t it? Anyways, let’s continue.
Wondering if this nutrient-dense food can make you sick? Here is how.
1. Eating poisonous mushroom
2. Eating raw edible mushrooms
1. Eating poisonous mushrooms
Just as the name implies, poisonous mushrooms are a no-no because when consumed, they can cause severe symptoms or even death. If you are going to pick mushrooms yourself, be sure to pick only known edible mushrooms. Even at that, Some know edible ones have look-alikes that are poisonous so you have to be extra careful.
Effects of Poisonous mushrooms
°Hallucinations – some mushroom species contain toxins that cause hallucinations.
° Gastrointestinal illness – many poisonous mushrooms cause gastrointestinal illness, such as nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea
° Organ failure: Kidney failure, heart failure, liver failure and death.
Other effects include confusion, muscle weakness, agitation, rapid heart rate and headache.
There Are Rarely ‘Cures’ For Toxic Mushrooms – Just Ways To Mitigate Symptoms
Most of them include different forms of detox and keeping you hydrated while you’re throwing up or suffering from diarrhea. The hospital may also administer doses of activated charcoal to help absorb toxins or medications such as silibinin and penicillin.
2. Eating raw edible mushrooms
Consuming edible mushrooms can also not be good for you if you eat them raw could cause symptoms similar to poisonous mushrooms but usually not as lethal as consuming poisonous mushrooms. These symptoms are usually referred to as “mushroom allergies.
Common symptoms of mushroom allergy are
° Skin rashes or hives
° Bloating or stomach cramps
° Swelling of mouth, lips and throat
° Runny nose
° Wheezing
° Nausea
° Diarrhea
°Vomiting
Cooking mushrooms helps break down compounds that could harmful to you. So drying, cooking and refrigeration.
In conclusion
Here are tips on how not to get sick or probably die when you come mushrooms.
1. Cook mushrooms properly, 10-15 minutes of heat to cook mushrooms which is not a long time
2. Get your mushrooms from a reliable source
3. If you must hunt for mushrooms, pick only known edible ones
4. If you are allergic to mushrooms, do not eat them.
Contributor
Confidence Ejiofor
Mushroom nutrition advocate at mushroommatters.com.ng
Mushroom poisoning – Better Health Channelhttps://www.betterhealt
What To Do If You Accidentally Eat Poisonous Mushrooms –https://www.ranker.com/list/
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