6 foods that could kill you if handled poorly

 When it comes to food poisoning, some of us are walking around with good karma since recovery is quick.

To those unlucky, foodborne illnesses could lead to detrimental symptoms like brain and nerve damage, chronic arthritis, kidney and liver failure or even death.

Food should be handled carefully because, in the end, a slight mistake could cost you your life

1. Potatoes

To stay on the safe side, it is advised to store potatoes in a cool, dry and dark place. Potatoes should be firm to the touch.

Wrinkled, smelly potatoes or those that have sprouts should be avoided. Old potatoes or the ones that have been exposed to too much light will start to turn green.

This is a sign that it has high amounts of glycoalkaloid and solanine content that can cause stomach pain, headache and to some extent, paralysis of the central nervous system.

Rotting potatoes give off a noxious solanine gas that can make a person unconscious if they've inhaled enough. There have even been cases of people dying in their root cellars due to a lack of knowledge of rotting potatoes.

1. Raw meat and uncooked eggs

Raw meat including red meat, poultry and sea food contain salmonella bacteria which can cause an inflammation of the lining of the intestines in humans.

This poisoning can go into the bloodstream and cause a serious complication called bacteremia which is life-threatening to people with a weak immune system.

1. Cassava

Popular in the western part of Kenya, this gluten-free alternative can be turned into flour for ugali, make porridge, cassava fries, cake, bread or even consumed raw.

It is a good source of Vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin, and its leaves are edible if a person cooks or dries them in the sun.

Soaking and cooking cassava makes them harmless but eating raw can cause paralysis in children, low levels of iodine, increased risk of goitre, nerve damage or even death.

Raw cassava roots and leaves contain high levels of cyanide, which is toxic to ingest.

1. Raw milk

Supermarket milk is pasteurized, but there are people who drink milk, straight from the animal.

Drinking raw milk, especially by children puts them at risk of developing deadly diseases like E.coli and salmonella.

1. Chilli peppers

What is saddening is seeing popular influencers doing challenges that prompt them to eat raw chilli.

One won’t kill you, but peppers have a chemical called capsaicin which makes them spicy.

A large dose of chilli causes tissue inflammation and may damage the mucus lining of the stomach or intestines, heartburn and difficulty in breathing as your lungs constrict and one can die.

1. Kidney beans

 Preparation of legumes is key. Just 4 or 5 kidney beans can trigger the symptoms of toxicity within an hour or two after consumption.

Lectins found in raw and undercooked beans are toxic, therefore, soaking them for several hours before cooking removes them.

Lectins kill the cells in your stomach and may bind the walls of your digestive system which can lead to serious problems like bloating, gas, fatigue or even death.