Foods That Are Toxic When Raw

[Gwendolene]

Hi all,
I know that several foods are toxic when eaten raw and thought it would be good to have a thread where we can all share our knowledge on this subject.

Buckwheat - I've read a number of places that this can cause photo sensitivity especially in fair skinned raw fooders.

Black Beans - According to Carol Alt's book these are toxic when raw.

Cashews - I've read conflicting data on these so far, also that there may not be any truly raw cashews due to toxicity.

Rubarb - According to Wikipedia's entry on raw food.

[Cecilia]

As a kid we used to eat raw rubarb all the time.... I don't think it's toxic. The leaves are toxic though

[rawpriestess]

I don't think it is so much that foods are less toxic cooked, because poison isn't ruined when it is heated per se', at least not ALL poisons.

and I've had raw cashews, that were great,
raw buckwheat and they were great
rubarb isn't toxic, only the leaves are, much like nightshades

and I don't think every thing on this planet is meant to be eaten by humans, or dogs, or cats, or elves, each species has a specific food or foods it is to eat, and I think humans are supposed to eat mostly fruits and some greens, but that is me, and that is what works for me.

[Sheryl]

It is buckwheat greens that show some toxicity at very high levels, buckwheat grains for crackers etc do not.

For cashews it's the shell around the cashew that contains toxic compounds. For mass produced they heat the shell to deactivate it, so they can process a ton of cashews an hour. For truly raw they hand shell them one by one, taking care to keep the sap off the nuts. That's why they cost more. It supports the farmers too since they get paid more as well!

Cheers,
Sheryl

[rawpriestess]

Sheryl, thanks for your always wonderful and accurate information.


You are such a blessing.

[Spectatrix]

Kidney beans are toxic when raw.

[vgloveforlife]

What about chickpeas? I've read that their not good sprouted, anyone know?

[Spectatrix]

What about chickpeas? I've read that their not good sprouted, anyone know?
They're not toxic, but some people don't like the flavor.