How not to get poisoned by mushrooms? Gastroenterologist named the main rules

Mushrooms are rich in valuable nutrients and add a special flavor to many dishes. They can be pickled, dried, fried, sauteed – the Internet is full of recipes. However, when buying or picking them yourself, the slightest oversight can lead to serious poisoning and even death.

The most important rule for handling mushrooms: if in doubt, don’t take them!

Basic criteria of edibility

Mushrooms contain proteins, fats, iron, calcium, zinc, iodine, potassium, phosphorus and other nutrients. Despite the high content of vitamins and minerals, some also contain health and life-threatening toxins. There are more than 100 thousand species known in the world, of which more than 70 thousand have been described by specialists.

All mushrooms on the basis of edibility and poisonousness can be divided into three groups:

  1. edible;
  2. conditionally edible;
  3. poisonous.

The first can be safely eaten (but you need to take into account several factors, which we will talk about below). Perhaps the main sign of edibility can be considered spongy structure, convexity and massiveness of the cap. These are, for example, aspen, birch, white mushrooms. They have large, solid stems.

Conditionally edible mushrooms can also be eaten, but only after prolonged heat treatment. They should be boiled for at least 40 minutes and only then fried, salted, pickled. These are, for example, morels, fall opiates, pear chestnuts.

It should be understood that improperly cooked mushrooms, even edible, can cause poisoning. Also dangerous are overripe and wormy, they should not be eaten.

Danger signs

Inedible mushrooms, and there are about a hundred of them, you can not eat. The most poisonous and deadly to humans is the pale grebe, which is often confused with mushrooms. Signs of poisoning, as a rule, manifest themselves 8-12 hours after consumption.

This mushroom has a pale ring on the stalk, cap up to 10 centimeters in diameter light green, white, yellowish-brown-olive color: usually its middle is darker than the edges. The flesh of the pale grebe is white, odorless and tasteless.

Also, the following signs may indicate that the mushroom is poisonous:

  • unusual or very bright coloring;
  • absence of a tubular layer under the cap;
  • absence of insects and worms on the surface and inside the mushroom;
  • unpleasant odor (not always a sign of poisonousness);
  • a change in the color of the mushroom cut to an unnatural color.

Safe methods of collection and preparation

The rules for collecting mushrooms are pretty obvious.

First, collect mushrooms should be away from large factories, mills, highways. Only familiar species, young and fresh are subject to collection.

To help mushroom pickers now issued a large number of guides. There are also special mobile applications that help to distinguish between edible and inedible mushrooms – just point the phone camera at it. However, this method does not always work, and an error may creep into the algorithm of the application.

Perhaps the most effective way to help you understand mushrooms is the advice of experienced mushroomers. They will not only tell you about the signs of edibility of this or that specimen, but also show their distinctive features on specific examples.

Secondly, in the forest you can not be greedy, that is, put in a bowl even old mushrooms – they will still go in the trash. Only young and whole specimens are suitable for eating.

Thirdly, experts recommend that a novice mushroom hunter collect not all consecutive edible or conditionally edible mushrooms, but only one to three species. This will strengthen attention and will give the opportunity to more closely familiarize themselves with specific specimens, to learn all their features.

Experts also advise not to buy pickled, salted, dried mushrooms from unfamiliar sellers. If you buy such products from the hands, then only from proven mushroom growers.

How to store

Long store the collected mushrooms can not be stored, because in them quite quickly appear dangerous to human health substances. If after a hike in the forest there is no opportunity to immediately proceed to cleaning and cooking, then you need to pour them with salted cold water or spread them on paper or on plywood in a thin layer and put them away in the cold.

As for cooking, mushrooms can be dried, salted, pickled, fried, boiled. They are used to make soups, sauces, added to meat, fish and vegetable dishes. Nevertheless, before cooking should be carefully prepared and study the methods of processing and storage.

What the doctor says

Andrei Yakushev

gastroenterologist, hepatologist of the Hadassah Clinic branch in the Skolkovo International Medical Cluster

“Unfortunately, there is no unambiguous answer to the question whether the mushroom is edible or poisonous. The statistics of poisonings are clear proof of this – even an experienced mushroom picker can get confused.”

The rule that most poisonous mushrooms smell bad and have a tubular structure, has many exceptions. The most important thing here is to collect only the species you know. It’s better to limit yourself to a variety than to end up in the emergency room.

My father, for example, once showed me what porcini mushrooms looked like and suggested that I collect only those. Admittedly, I still take that advice to this day. It is also good practice to know the distinguishing features of false – that is, outwardly similar, but poisonous brothers of known mushrooms.

Consequences of eating inedible mushrooms

Consumption of inedible mushrooms is extremely dangerous for health and life. Their effect on the body depends on the toxin. Most often in poisoning, acute damage to the kidneys and liver is found, a little less often – toxicity associated with the brain and respiratory system.

Acute organ damage is a medical term that means a sudden disruption in the work of an organ, its insufficiency as a functional unit. Simply put – failure of organs and systems.

It is also not recommended to eat conditionally edible mushrooms. Depending on the characteristics of the environment in which the mushroom grew, the amount of harmful substances and toxins and, accordingly, their harm to the body can be different. Even the well-known buttercups and podberezoviki can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Symptoms of poisoning

The clinical picture of mushroom poisoning is very diverse. It can be suspected by comparing the unexpected deterioration of the condition with the time of ingestion.

It is important to remember that toxin poisoning runs both lightning fast and very severe. In such a situation, the sooner you seek help, the better the chances for a favorable outcome.

Frequent signs of mushroom poisoning:

  • sharp weakness;
  • changes in vision;
  • thirst;
  • headache;
  • nausea and vomiting;
  • decreased urine output;
  • slight increase in body temperature.

At the appearance of such symptoms and suspicions of mushroom poisoning, it is recommended to immediately consult a doctor. First aid is aimed at reducing the entry of toxins into the body – this is gastric lavage. It is also recommended to drink more water.

When cooking, it should be remembered that mushrooms are a heavy food. In different populations, between 5% and 30% of people do not have the enzyme to digest this product at all. Thus, it is better to use longer cooking methods and consume mushrooms in small quantities at a time.

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