Can anyone verify these?

I found this on Wikipedia Raw Food, its about poisoning from certain Raw Foods, can anyone confirm or (accuratly) deny them?

Avoiding poisoning

As the consumption of raw foods gains popularity, some potentially unsafe foods have re-entered the diets of humans. However, the following list includes many foods which are rarely promoted by the educated proponents of Raw Foodism, especially beans or legumes.

Buckwheat greens are toxic when raw, particularly if juiced or eaten in large quantities by fair skinned individuals. The chemical component fagopyrin is known to cause severe photosensitivity and other dermatological complaints.[33]

Kidney beans, including sprouts, are toxic when raw, due to the chemical phytohaemagglutinin.[34]

Alfalfa sprouts contain the toxin canavanine.[35]

Some types of raw cassava or cassava flour can be toxic.

Raw eggs contain avidin, a vitamin B7 or biotin inhibitor, which can cause


  • About kidney beans and other beans: a study

  • camiheartsrawcamiheartsraw Raw Newbie
    edited July 16

    Buckwheat greens are toxic in large quantities. The sprouts (just spouted so there's a tail about 1/3 the length of the seed) are fine. Kidney beans are true.

    Canavanine is not toxic to everyone. It's a nonproteinic amino acid. Alfalfa sprouts are a great food for people without autoimmune diseases like Lupus. I have Lupus and I avoid them because they will cause an increase in my symptoms. "Normal" people are fine.

    Most of these are true if you eat massive quantities. The key to a successful raw diet is a lot of variety. Apricot kernels and other stone fruit pits contain small amounts of cyanide, but I don't know how many of us can claim we can digest the pit much less use it in any food. A lot of these are quite silly. I don't eat meat so I don't worry about obvious bacteria problems there, and to avoid bacteria/fungal issues with other foods, try soaking them in water and a few tablespoons of vinegar for 15 minutes. I also will use an oregano spray for certain fruits from Central America because I've picked up a food borne parasite before and I'm a little gun shy. I avoid raw sweet potatoes/yams and squash because there are enzyme inhibitors in them, but they aren't necessarily toxic. There is such a variety of foods out there that even if you chose to avoid this list, you'd have plenty to build a healthy diet on.


  • this is all very good to know. what's news to me is about the squash, and about the oregano spray, that was especially informative thanks :)

  • What kind of squash contains enzyme inhibitors? Yellow Crookneck (summer)? Zucchini? Spaghetti Squash?? There are hundreds of different kinds of squash available year-round, from all over the globe. Do they all contain EIs?

    And, speaking of inhibitors, nuts and seeds are soaked, rinsed & drained because their EIs are on their outter surfaces, their skins. Are the EIs in or on squash? ~Mae

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