These 12 Vegetables Could Kill You if Eaten Raw

If you've ever considered taking a bite of a raw potato or wanted to pick elderberries straight off the vine, you should maybe think again. These 12 vegetables, if eaten raw, could do serious damage to your health.

Potatoes

There are so many great ways to eat potatoes: mashed, roasted or twice baked. But one way you should never eat them is raw. Potatoes contain a toxic compound called solanine, which, if eaten in large enough doses, can be fatal or make you very sick.

Rhubarb

If you like rhubarb in your food, be very cautious when cutting off the leaves, as they are incredibly poisonous, cooked or raw. The leaves contain oxalic acid – a toxin that can cause kidney damage, breathing difficulties, vomiting, eye pain and sometimes death.

Elderberries

While elderberries are known for fighting off colds and the flu, in their raw form they can be poisonous. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health suggests boiling them before adding them to anything.

Castor Beans

Castor oil is not only used in cooking but has also be used to treat constipation or induce labor. While the oil is safe, you should never consume raw castor beans because they contain high concentrations of ricin – a chemical used to make biological weapons.

Photography: Wikimedia Commons | Alvesgaspar

Taro

This ancient root vegetable may be tasty, but you absolutely should never eat it raw. Taro contains a fiberglass-like compound called calcium oxalate that causes oral inflammation and could lead to suffocation.

Cassava

Also known as arrowroot or yuca, cassava has a compound that turns into hydrogen cyanide inside your body and interferes with your body’s ability to use oxygen. In other words, raw cassava could cause you to drown on dry land.

Bitter Almonds

Bitter almonds are not as common in the United States as they are in Europe, but some grocery stores like Whole Foods do carry them. Bitter almonds also contain hydrogen cyanide and if eaten in large doses could prove fatal, or at the very least cause dizziness, vomiting and convulsions.

Kidney Beans

Like most other beans, raw beans contain lectins that can make you very sick when you don’t cook them. Chances are you won’t die, but you are likely to suffer gastrointestinal issues.

Sprouts

Uncooked sprouts are usually a hotbed for potentially harmful bacteria, such as salmonella, E. coli and listeria. Even cooked, it’s best for pregnant women, children and the elderly to stay away from them entirely.

Wild Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a tricky vegetable to advise on because some varieties can be eaten raw, while others may be poisonous raw or otherwise. Cooking mushrooms breaks down many of the harmful compounds which makes many of them edible for consumption. So, if you ever find yourself stranded in the woods, maybe build a fire before choosing to eat those mushrooms you found.

Pits and Seeds of Apples, Peaches, Apricots, etc.

You were probably told as a child that the seeds in apples and pears and the pits of fruits like mangos, peaches and apricots were poisonous. These contain a chemical known as amygdalin, which also can turn to cyanide in your body. While you’d have to consume a lot to suffer the effects of poisoning, it's better not to risk it.