Some Poisonous Wild Berries You Need to Avoid
- Women`s Corner
- January 24, 2021
While many wild berries are delicious and safe to eat, some you ought to avoid. Certain berries contain toxic compounds which will cause uncomfortable or fatal side effects.
Holly berries : These tiny berries contain the toxic compound saponin, which can cause nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.
Mistletoe : This popular Christmas plant has white berries that contain the toxic compound phoratoxin. It can cause stomach issues and a slow heartbeat (bradycardia), as well as brain, kidney, and adrenal toxicity.
Jerusalem cherries : Also referred to as Christmas orange, this plant has yellow-red berries that contain solanine, a compound which will cause gastrointestinal infections, stomach cramping, and an irregular heartbeat (tachycardia).
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Bittersweet : Also called bittersweet, berries from this plant contain solanine. They’re almost like Jerusalem cherries and may cause similar side effects.
Pokeweed berries : These purple berries appear as if grapes but contain toxic compounds within the roots, leaves, stem, and fruit. This plant tends to urge more toxic because it matures, and eating the berries is potentially fatal.
Ivy berries : Purple-black to orange-yellow in color, these berries contain the toxin saponin. they'll cause nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.
Yew berries : These bright red berries contain potentially toxic seeds. One study showed that eating too many yew seeds caused seizures.
Virginia creeper berries : These climbing vine berries contain toxic amounts of calcium oxalate. Consuming an excessive amount of of this compound can have toxic effects on your kidneys.
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This list isn't exhaustive, and lots of other poisonous berries grow within the wild. Some toxic berries even look almost like edible ones. For this reason, the utmost caution must be taken when harvesting wild berries. If you’re ever unsure whether a wild berry is safe, it’s best to avoid it.
