Ever heard of the cassava – this plant that about half a billion people eat? Yeah, it can be deadly if you mess up how you prepare it. But don’t panic — it’s not like everyone who eats it dies.
Cassava is popular and deadly
If you don’t know what you’re doing, it can cause serious problems. But once you know the right way to prep it, you’re good to go.
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Cassava is important in many diets
Cassava grows best in tropical places, like South America, but Nigeria is the big shot in terms of production right now. It’s in many diets, especially where other crops don’t do so hot.
So, for many people, cassava is like a go-to food that fills them up. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done.
The parts of cassava that are toxic
Now, let’s talk about why cassava can be so dangerous. The roots, peel, and leaves — you’re in trouble if you eat them raw. They have these toxins that, when not prepared right, turn into cyanide. Actual cyanide.
Not the kinda thing you want to mess around with. So yeah, avoid eating raw cassava. Just don’t.
Cassava can contain dangerous amounts of cyanide
But not all cassava is the same. There’s sweet cassava and bitter cassava. The sweet stuff isn’t too bad — it’s got around 20mg of cyanide per kilogram. But the bitter stuff? They can have up to 1,000mg of cyanide. That’s a lot. And way more dangerous.
So yeah, you wanna make sure you’re eating the right kind, and definitely make sure you’re not eating it raw.
Cassava poisoning kills people every year
The WHO says cassava poisoning kills about 200 people a year. I know, sounds scary. But actually, with the amount of people eating cassava every day, 200 deaths isn’t that many.
It’s just that when things go wrong, they really go wrong. So it’s not super common, but definitely something to be aware of.
People have learned how to make cassava safe
But hey, we’re pretty smart, right? We’ve figured out how to make cassava safe to eat. If you know the right way to prepare it, you’ll love it.
People soak it for hours or sometimes even a full day, which removes the toxic stuff. So it’s all about the prep. Mess that up, and it’s a whole other story.
Cassava’s deadly potential is similar to poisonous fish
It’s like that fancy fugu fish. Chefs train for years to prepare it right because if they don’t, people could die. Same thing with cassava. If you know what you’re doing, no big deal.
But if you don’t, well… things can get real ugly, real quick.
Cassava has health risks beyond death
It’s not just about dying. Eating raw or poorly prepared cassava can mess with your health in other ways too. One of those ways is a brain condition called ataxia. It messes with your coordination and motor skills.
So it’s not just cyanide you need to worry about. The whole thing is just very dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Proper preparation makes cassava safe
The good news: you can totally make cassava safe to eat. It’s all about proper cooking. You have to soak it for long hours, up to a whole day.
If you do that, it’s fine. No cyanide issues, no nothing. Just make sure you’re following the steps!
Food shortages make cassava more dangerous
Oh, and one more thing: when food is scarce, cassava gets even riskier. Why?
Well, people are more likely to eat bitter cassava during famines or food shortages. And that’s the kind with all the dangerous cyanide.
So cassava becomes way more dangerous when food is hard to come by. It’s crazy how desperate times make things worse.
