Berries are small juicy fruits, which can be round or semi-oblong, sweet or sour, with seeds embedded in the flesh or aril. Though most berries are healthy and edible, some are known to be toxic in varying degrees. Some berries which are harmless to animals can be hazardous to humans, causing illness, injury or even death.

Pokeweed Berries

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A pokeweed, also known as pokeberry or inkberry, is a perennial plant native to the North America.

Pokeweed berries grow in bunches and become purple when they fully ripen. If crushed with bare hands, the hands turn purple. These berries contain traces of phytolaccatoxin and phytolaccigenin which are toxic for mammals.

Consumption of pokeweed berries may lead to headaches, diarrhea and severe abdominal pain. If consumed in large quantities, these berries can lead to complications such as quickening of heartbeats and a feeling of giddiness or seizures, eventually leading to coma or death.

Actaea Pachypoda

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Actaea pachypoda, a perennial plant from the Ranunculaceae family, is native to the eastern regions of North America.

This herbaceous plant can grow up to 50 cm, and sports white flowers in a dense cluster. The actaea pachypoda berries, known as ‘doll’s eyes’ are 1 cm in diameter. The entire actaea pachypoda plant, including the berries, are considered to be extremely poisonous to human beings.

The cardiogenic toxins in these berries have a sedative effect on the cardiac muscle tissues. Therefore consuming these berries can lead to cardiac arrest, and eventually death of a person.

Yew Berries

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Yew is an evergreen shrub, sporting soft bright green needle-like leaves, resembling a ‘Christmas tree’.

Yew berries are usually red in color. They look like capsules, and have a hard green stone in their center. Although the aril, the fleshy part, is not poisonous, the green seeds within are highly poisonous and bitter in taste.

Eating yew berries can lead to severe abdominal pain, vomiting, breathlessness, nausea and dizziness. If consumed by children, it may affect their heart rate. Call the poison control center immediately, if you consumed Yew Berries.

Holly Berries

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Holly berries are one of the 600 species of flowering plants from the Aquifoliaceae family of flora.

The bright red colored berries, hard in nature, are mildly toxic. Consuming these berries can lead to severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and make the person feel drowsy. While Holly berries are not the most poisonous berry, you should still be cautious and aware of them.

Though they are poisonous for human beings, various species of birds and wild animals feed on them.

Ivy Berries

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Ivy berries, also known as Hedera, are a species of evergreen creepers from Araliaceae family, native to some parts of Europe, Africa, Asia and Atlantic Islands.

These creepers can climb to a height of 25 – 30 feet on trees as well as rocky surfaces. Ivy berries are small and black in color, ripening in late winter season. Although various species of birds feed on these, they are considered to be highly toxic for humans.

Ivy berries contain a polyyne, known as falcarinol, which can cause allergic reactions on consumption.

Other Relatively Non-Toxic Berries

Other than these there are some berries which are relatively non-toxic, but can lead to complications if consumed in large quantities. Mistletoe berries found in parts of the United States and Europe, can lead to problems like stomach upset, if consumed in large quantities.

These mouth watering fruits can sometimes tend to be very costly for the health, so if there is even the slightest doubt about them, they are better avoided. Its not a wise idea to risk the lives of yourself or your loved ones, just for the sake of being tempted by these colorful, but poisonous berries.

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• Do You Know Which Foods are High in Antioxidants?

This article was written by Abhijit Naik and syndicated from Buzzle.com.

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Dieting among teenagers has increased at alarming rates. Teenagers are at a very critical developmental stage in their lives and depriving their bodies of the essential nutrients could cause more harm than good. The problem is the type of diets that our teenagers are engaging in.

Fad Diets

Fad diets are on the rise within the teenage community; these diets are designed as the quick fix and their target audience is the impatient. Fad diets could lead your teenager to a serious eating disorder. In the event that a diet is warranted a more healthy approach needs to be taken.

Female Teens & The ‘Barbie’ Look

Female teenagers are more likely to develop an eating disorder than their male counterparts because they are more body image conscious. Whenever they turn on the television or open a magazine they are confronted with the “Barbie Doll” look.

They start to feel inadequate because they don’t possess that same look, which is an unattainable look in most cases. It is nearly impossible for us to monitor our teenagers eating habits so we need to be watchful of the signs that an eating disorder is developing.

One of the worst things that we can do is confront the issue aggressively. This is only going to cause them to act out and in some cases make the situation worse. During meal time watch how they are or are not eating.

Encourage open dialog during mealtime on any subject being careful to stay away from the dieting subject. Try to have your teenager eat more slowly and by all means no phones or television during dinner. We want to have their attention and avoid distractions.

Overcoming Teenage Eating Disorders

Eating disorders can be overcome and your support is necessary. Proper nutrition, exercise, and consuming one ounce of water for every pound that they weigh a day will get them back on track. Healthy eating, communication, and love will do wonders. Teenage dieting doesn’t have to be problem dieting.

Related Articles:

• Foods That Speed Metabolism
• Tips for Increasing Your Metabolism
• Soy Milk: The Benefits vs. The Dangers
• 5 Poisonous Berries You Probably Want to Avoid
• Study: Is Vegetarianism a Teen Eating Disorder?

Put Yourself in My Shoes

You’ve worked really hard to prepare this meal. You shopped a week in advance, at least. You pressed the last of the napkins hot out of the dryer. You’re really pleased with your menu. Broiled fish, roasted chicken breasts with garlic cloves, bell pepper and onions and steamed broccoli, steamed asparagus, and corn you took off the cob just this afternoon. And by request, your special macaroni and cheese is also on the menu.

It’s time to get everything heated, so you’ve got the oven set to 200 up and the warming pots on the stove. The vegetables are steaming and all that’s left is the macaroni and cheese and the corn. Planned down to the minute, your family will be arriving in twenty minutes; the macaroni will be put into the microwave, straight from the fridge in your microwave-safe plastic ware. Your corn will go in right after that for three minutes.

Everyone is on time. You’re placing the last two items on the table as the guests are seated—it went like clockwork.

What Could Possibly be Wrong with This Picture?

The only problem is the microwave. You know how you learn something but it doesn’t stick because it’s so out of line with the rest of life? That was my problem with the truth and fallacy of microwave cooking.

Many, many years ago, when the microwave was banned in Germany, I can recall hearing about it. I was a child and I remember thinking, What an odd thing to ban. Those poor people are so oppressed. Little did I know.

The Problems with Microwaving Foods

Microwaving changes food on the molecular level, denaturing its nutrients and therein making foods empty, useless substances.

What are you left with?

• Carcinogens in your proteins in cereal and milk
• Radiolytics – stuff unknown in nature
• Destroyed meat proteins

As a result of eating this food, studies have recorded the following:

• Reduces blood hemoglobin count (indicator of anemic condition)
• Increases cholesterol and white blood count

In 1991, microwaving blood denatured it enough to kill a transfusion recipient who received that warmed blood.

Most nutritionists will warn parents away from warming baby milk and formula in microwaves for two reasons:

• It destroys the nutrients in the formula
• The formula is generally much hotter than the bottle indicates when removed from the microwave

It’s even been demonstrated to be unsafe for people to stand in front of microwaves. It’s actually causing cell destruction.

Why People Still Use Microwaves

I am going to guess that many people are a lot like me. I extend to the government a benefit of the doubt that they wouldn’t deliberately make me sick. (I don’t know why I extend the government this because obviously that very thing is the case. It makes me sick.)

I am all about the convenience of heating food quickly. I remember our first microwave. It meant and end to oven and stove reheating. No more steam burns—almost no more—hello, 4-minutes-to-a-complete-meal. Speed can’t mean a sacrifice of health. Who would allow that? Actually it was the same people who prosecuted a United States researcher, William Kopp, who went and collected the Russians’ and Germans’ research results.

So, What Does All This Mean to Me?

Instead of saying thank you to my family and friends for the excellent care they took of me after my surgery, I was giving them damaging garbage to eat with the rest of their meals.