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Death from toxic garden courgette How to identify deadly bitter substances
After the death of a 79-year-old from Baden-Württemberg experts have warned against the consumption of bitter zucchini. The pensioner had died after eating self-grown zucchini. Consumers should follow some safety instructions.
Man dies after poisoning with zucchini
A few days ago it became known that a 79-year-old pensioner from Heidenheim (Baden-Württemberg) died after eating a dish of zucchini from his garden. According to media reports, courgettes contain cucurbitacin, which causes severe food poisoning that can be fatal in the worst case scenario. The Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL) had then warned against the consumption of bitter-tasting zucchini. The agency also said that at least five people received medical treatment in Bavaria this summer after consuming bitter zucchini or pumpkins. According to the dpa news agency, according to the Office, cucurbitacin poisoning has been detected in all patients. The authority knows no deaths. The number of unreported cases could possibly be higher, as sufferers or doctors do not associate every diarrhea with the consumption of bitter zucchini or pumpkins. In a report of the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" (SZ.de) explained an expert, what consumers now have to respect.
Zucchini and other home-grown plants may contain toxins. (Image: Angelaravaioli / fotolia.com) Plants are under stress
Maria Roth, who heads the Stuttgart Chemical and Veterinary Examination Office and studied the poisonous zucchini from Heidenheim, first explained why zucchini can contain toxins this summer: Many plants produce bittering agents to protect their fruit. Cucurbitaceae, such as zucchini, cucumbers, melons or pumpkins, produce poisonous cucurbitacines. Actually, such bitter substances have been extracted from the crops, but when a plant is under stress, it can happen that it falls back into old patterns and the bitter substances are reactivated. According to the expert, the long-lasting heat this summer was a great stress for the plants.
Vomiting is a healthy protective reflex
For this reason, the zucchini from Heidenheim could have been poisonous. Another possible cause is, however, that the neighbor used seed with backcrosses that contained the bitter substances. This can happen, for example, when ornamental squash grows near the garden and hobby gardeners harvest the seeds of the zucchini themselves and sow them again next year. Therefore, consumers should buy fresh and certified seeds every year. If the bitter substances of the cucurbits are consumed, they attack the gastrointestinal tract. For larger quantities you usually have to surrender. Vomiting is a healthy protective reflex because it eliminates the toxins. Otherwise, they go through the digestive tract and attack the cell walls, which can sometimes be life-threatening. Ms. Roth pointed out that again, the dose is the poison. The man from Heidenheim had eaten a whole zucchini casserole.
A simple test helps
Danger is not only with self-grown plants, even with vegetables from the supermarket caution is appropriate. For plants in the field, the only risk is that contaminated seeds have been used. But you do not have to throw it away in the garden. One can easily find out if a zucchini is affected or not. You can taste the bitter substances clearly. And if you only try a fork in such a test and spit out the zucchini again, you do not have to worry. Be careful, but people who have no functioning sense of taste. You should ask others for help.
Trust in the sense of taste
Although the bitter substances of cucurbits are particularly aggressive in high concentrations, there are other types of vegetables that produce toxins. For example, green spots in nightshade plants such as potatoes and tomatoes contain the weak toxin solanine. You should therefore cut away such places. This substance can also be found in hard, not quite ripe eggplant. Here it helps to cut open the eggplant, to salt, to wait a bit and then pat dry. As a result, the solanine is pulled out of the eggplant, which can then be consumed without hesitation. Toxic protein compounds such as phasin are also contained in raw beans and chickpeas. Even domestic plants that are not intended for consumption, can harm your health. Experts point out that many garden plants are poisonous. Maria Roth concluded in the "SZ" that cooking with beans and chickpeas helps against the poison, but not with zucchini and pumpkins. Accordingly, the poison is retained even in high heat. According to the expert, people have to trust their sense of taste. (Ad)