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The National Food Administration updates the guidelines for foods that can cause cramps and shortness of breath if consumption is too high, offering pure complete reversals. Crushed flax seeds are now given a green light, whole bitter almonds should preferably not be eaten at all, and raw cassava is marked with a bright red warning triangle.
The crushed flax seeds are now good to eat, if heated in liquid. Stock Photography.
The advice to avoid bitter almonds as a snack may seem superfluous, as whole bitter almonds taste just as bad as the name suggests. But Richard Bjerselius, a toxicologist with the National Food Administration, points out that especially children may have the stupid idea of chewing whole bitter almonds if parents forget them.
– We have not formulated it clearly before, but the common sense of the most reliable people. Now we say: don’t eat bitter almonds as a snack, but it’s okay to eat them in cakes, says Bjerselius, who has updated the guidelines after a recent review of the research.
About 2,500 plants, including several common foods like bitter almonds, contain cyanogenic glycosides that can form the toxic substance hydrogen cyanide when chewed, crushed, or ground.
– Too high doses may cause cramps, vomiting, shortness of breath and nausea. If you ingest too much hydrogen cyanide, shortness of breath can be life threatening, says Bjerselius.
Whole flax seeds are same as before marked in green: however, adults should not eat more than one or two tablespoons a day, and children should only consume them as part of other products such as muesli, bread and porridge.
Unlike before, crushed and ground flax seeds are approved if heated together with liquid, but no more than one tablespoon a day for adults. However, children should completely avoid crushed and ground flax seeds.
– With this scientific review, we see that it is possible to ingest a small amount of ground flaxseed. Some of the hydrogen cyanide evaporates if you prepare them into a liquid and heat them. The same applies to other foods with cyanogenic glycosides, says Bjerselius.
Advice and recommendations are regularly updated by the National Food Administration. The hydrogen cyanide food update is partly about the emergence of poisoning due to the vegetarian trend.
– We see that there is a risk that the consumption of this type of food increases with the tendency to eat more and more plant-based. Then you need to be aware of the risks of naturally toxin-containing plants, says Bjerselius.
One of the most The newly added foods in Swedish grocery stores are cassava, which is common in tropical countries. The National Food Administration is now getting serious about it and completely advises against eating the root or leaves in raw form.
– In Sweden, we do not have the tradition of eating cassava. It is mainly in other parts of the world where cassava is used for cooking, and in those countries the risks are known. It is possible to eat cassava after cooking, but it is important to be careful and follow the instructions. Cassava can contain high levels of cyanogenic glycosides, says Bjerselius.
The National Food Administration encourages consumers to ask at the store how it should be cooked and whether it is sweet or sour because the bitter variety contains more cyanogenic glycosides and is therefore more difficult to cook to remove toxins.
What food is toxic?
The National Food Administration has updated guidelines on foods that can be toxic in excessive amounts and in the event of improper cooking.
Foods that contain cyanogenic glycosides can form the toxic substance hydrogen cyanide when chewed, crushed, or ground. The venom can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and headaches. Severe poisoning can lead to seizures, shortness of breath, and loss of consciousness.
Flaxseeds: Adults can eat 1-2 tablespoons of whole flaxseed per day and 1 tablespoon of crushed or ground flaxseed per day if heated in liquid. Children can eat whole flax seeds if they are part of other foods like muesli, bread, or bread, but they should not eat crushed or ground flax seeds.
Yuca: can be eaten if cooked properly. Ask at the store or read in a cookbook how cooking is done. Bitter yucca contains more poison and is more difficult to cook.
Bitter Almonds: Small amounts in cakes are fine, but whole bitter almonds should be avoided.
Apricot kernels: It can be difficult to tell the difference between sweet and bitter apricots, which have higher levels. Therefore, the National Food Administration calls for them to be avoided entirely. However, it is possible to eat baking paste made from apricot seeds.
