Raw foods get a lot of hype for their nutritional power, and it’s deserved in many cases. While a 100 per cent raw diet’s health value is questionable, cooking or overcooking does destroy some of the vitamin content in certain foods.
Many of the compounds that make foods on this list too toxic to eat raw are part of their defence mechanisms. Toxins, like deadly ricin in castor beans, or hydrogen cyanide in almonds, are designed to deter pests. For plants trying to survive, humans can be as much of a pest as slugs or aphids.
Some of the other foods on this list are just poisonous if they’re not cooked properly, while others will just give you a wretched belly ache. Read on, and while you’re at it, go ahead and put that water on to boil.
The list is:
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.
Bitter Almonds:
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.
Potatoes:
Even if a raw potato doesn’t contain much solanine, you’re still better off cooking it before eating it. Uncooked potatoes also contain resistant starch. While some resistant starch can be good for your gut, the amount in raw potatoes is enough to give most people unpleasant side effects like severe gas and bloating.
Taro :
Raw taro contains calcium oxalate, and you do not want any part of this compound. It’s like tiny knives that cover the leaves and roots 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.
Cassava:
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 “drowning”—or chemically asphyxiating your organs.
Lima Beans:
You should still cook Lima beans thoroughly, regardless of where they are grown, as ingesting even a small amount can cause headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, rapid breathing and increased heart rate.
Flour: Raw flour has high amounts of phytates, which can bind to minerals like iron, zinc and calcium and prevent our bodies from absorbing them. Just be sure to cook flour well before you use it in a roux and stay away from the cookie dough.
Olives:
Unprocessed olives won’t make you sick or kill you, but chances are you won’t want to eat one. Olives right off of the tree contain a high concentration of a compound called oleuropein, which gives them a bitter taste. Bringing olives breaks down the oleuropein, yielding the delicious olives that we all know.
Wild Mushrooms:
Wild mushrooms can be tough to digest, so cooking them helps you avoid gastrointestinal distress. But many wild mushrooms also are toxic and potentially deadly. Cooking breaks down the harmful compounds, leaving you with a bowlful of mushroomy goodness.
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