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Worms and aged fungi during the fungus season: Are they potentially harmful and can they be successfully poisoned?

Harmful edible mushrooms identified by Rospotrebnadzor

Worms and aged fungi during the fungus season: Are these organisms potentially harmful and can they...
Worms and aged fungi during the fungus season: Are these organisms potentially harmful and can they be poisoned?

Worms and aged fungi during the fungus season: Are they potentially harmful and can they be successfully poisoned?

In the heart of Russia's mid-latitudes, mushroom lovers brace for the summer season.

No need for a Ph.D. in mycology to remember your grade-school biology - we've got edible, semi-edible, and straight-up poisonous mushrooms in our vast land. About 300 edible species grace our forests, safe to consume raw. Semi-edibles calls for soaking and boiling, and hopefully not repeatedly, while poisonous ones can spell real trouble.

But fear not, forest dwellers, there's more to the story. According to Mikhail Lebedev, a leading expert from the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, not all inedible mushrooms are completely off-limits to our plates. Some just taste awful or look downright unusual, but they won't harm you.

Russia's enchanting forests, however, house around 50 species of truly poisonous mushrooms. In the mid-latitudes, watch out for the death cap and certain types of fly agaric. The vulnerable - children and those with weakened health - are the most at risk.

POISONOUS MUSHROOM SYMPTOMS: A REAL-LIFE HORROR SHOW

The severity and onset of symptoms depend on the type and amount of mushrooms consumed. Expect the unexpected, like vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, weakness, confusion, seizures, liver and kidney damage, and heart issues. In short, mushroom poisoning can make you wish that dreaded school bell had rung a little sooner.

So, if someone's feeling funky, don't wait for the ambulance. Get them to vomit by pressing on the root of their tongue with a finger or a smooth object, and follow up with a few glasses of water. You can also do some old-fashioned gastric lavage for good measure.

But don't stop there - give them activated charcoal, or any enterosorbent, to soak up those pesky toxins. If plenty of time has passed since the poisoning, it's a good idea to use a laxative and administer an enema to flush out the toxins from their intestines.

Importantly, save all the uneaten mushrooms for analysis - they could provide valuable clues about the poisoning.

MUSHROOMS GONE WRONG: EVEN THE INNOCENT CAN TURN SINISTERR

  • Conditionally-edible mushrooms, like those from the Coprinus genus, can cause severe intoxication when paired with alcohol, thanks to the presence of the substance coprine, which hinders ethyl alcohol processing.
  • Non-specific poisonings can occur with edible mushrooms that have soaked up various toxic chemicals, heavy metal salts, pesticides, and other nasties in their growing environment. So, avoid picking mushrooms near roads or industrial sites, and steer clear of flower beds treated with chemicals.
  • Old mushrooms can be dangerous, even edible ones, as they break down with age, forming toxic substances like ammonia, phenol, and various alkaloids. It's best to collect young, robust mushrooms.
  • Forgetting about mushrooms for a few days can make them dangerous as well. So, prepare them immediately by boiling or frying.
  • Mushrooms bought from grandmas aren't the safest choice either, since you don't know where she collected them. Opt for official markets and fairs that conduct quality examinations before selling mushrooms.

Indeed, our expert argues that moldy mushrooms are safe, but taste might be an issue. However, there are methods to remove the "invaders": soaking in salt water or sun-drying.

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  • Despite the joy of summer mushroom season, be mindful of the various health-and-wellness implications from consuming these fungi.
  • medical-conditions such as mushroom poisoning can lead to severe symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and liver and kidney damage.
  • In fitness-and-exercise and mental-health communities, educating oneself on safe mushroom consumption becomes crucial due to conditional edibility of certain species, and potential interactions with substances like alcohol.
  • Regularly check nutrition labels of CBD products, as they often contain a compound called coprine, which can cause problems when combined with alcohol-based beverages.

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