Could eating too many white walnuts endanger a child's life? Would eating too many white walnuts cause poisoning?
Generally, consuming too many white nuts can lead to poisoning.Recently, a child experienced symptoms of poisoning after eating more than 20 white nuts and was promptly treated at the hospital. Below we will take a closer look! A couple brought their two-and-a-half-year-old son, Mingming, to the emergency room of Anhui Children's Hospital in Yingshang County; the child had rolled back eyes, pale face, tightly clenched fists, and stiff limbs. It turned out that the child ate more than 20 white nuts picked from his grandmother’s ginkgo tree.
The mother recounted that her grandmother collected some white nuts from the village's ginkgo trees and processed them herself; the child also ate a lot of them, turning pale shortly after.
After the doctors’ efforts to resuscitate him, the child eventually recovered. It is not uncommon for the hospital to treat children who have ingested white nuts leading to poisoning.At the beginning of this year, a one-and-a-half-year-old baby from Jinzhai County was rushed to the same hospital after experiencing convulsions and tremors following consumption of fallen ginkgo seeds; his consciousness gradually returned after receiving blood purification treatment. White nuts are also known as silver nuts, rich in nutrients and considered a high-grade tonic. However, excessive consumption can lead to poisoning, with severe cases resulting in breathing difficulties, pulmonary edema, coma, or even respiratory paralysis leading to death.
According to toxicologists, consuming 5 to 10 raw white nuts can cause poisoning, while more than 10 may be fatal for adults and children alike. Dr. Xu Dalang from the Nephrology Department of Anhui Children's Hospital recommended that for safety, the outer shell and embryo should be removed before cooking thoroughly; overconsumption, especially by weak individuals or children under five years old, is not advised. Can eating too many white nuts cause poisoning? Yes, consuming too many white nuts can lead to poisoning.Improper consumption of ginkgo seeds, particularly in terms of quantity, can result in poisoning. To prevent ginkgo poisoning, it is crucial to consume them cooked or processed into sweets.
For raw consumption, adults should limit themselves to 5-7 nuts at a time, and children according to their age and weight; another serving after four hours can be given if desired. It is essential to remove the shell, inner soft layer, and embryo when consuming raw white nuts.
If cooked, about 20-30 nuts are appropriate, as even larger doses may not result in poisoning with proper preparation. Experts recommend eating no more than 10-20 nuts at a time to avoid poisoning.
How do you prepare and cook white nuts?
Cut the shell of the white nut with scissors and microwave for one or two minutes on medium heat.
You can also process them into various foods, such as ginkgo chicken stir-fry, ginkgo braised chicken, ginkgo rice dumplings, and ginkgo porridge. Ginkgo nuts contain small amounts of toxins, including hydrogen cyanide, with the green embryo being most toxic. There have been reports of children dying after consuming as few as 5 to 10 white nuts. For consumption, always remove the shell and soft inner layer before cooking. If cooked, about 20-30 nuts are appropriate; even larger quantities may not cause poisoning if properly prepared.
White nuts should generally be consumed in moderation, with no more than 10-20 per serving to avoid potential poisoning. For safety, after cutting the shell, microwave for a few minutes on low heat.If you prepare ginkgo products, ensure they are well-cooked or processed into sweets. The outer seed coat of white nuts is toxic and can irritate the skin, causing contact dermatitis or allergic reactions. Symptoms of poisoning from eating raw white nuts appear 1-12 hours after consumption and include fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, seizures, respiratory distress, and in severe cases, death due to respiratory failure.In rare instances, symptoms may include sensory disorders and lower limb paralysis. Avoid excessive consumption of ginkgo seeds.Poisoning from eating raw ginkgo nuts is well-documented historically and has been reported frequently. Most cases occur during the autumn when ginkgo nuts are ripe, often due to overconsumption after cooking or boiling.Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, cyanosis, headache, extreme fear, seizures, and unconsciousness; severe cases may result in respiratory paralysis leading to death. Swift medical intervention is crucial for treatment.
Immediate first aid measures should include gastric lavage or enema to induce bowel movements.
Administer saline solution intravenously or glucose solution to dilute the toxin concentration and treat dehydration; egg whites and activated charcoal can also be given.Provide symptomatic treatment: anticonvulsants for seizures, oxygen therapy for cyanosis, and respiratory stimulants if necessary. Traditional Chinese medicine treatments include:Removing the toxicity from white nuts:Before cooking, use a small hammer to crack open the shells but be careful not to break the inner flesh. After removing the shell, peel off the outer layer that is toxic and cannot be eaten; you will find the white kernel inside. A good method for peeling involves placing all peeled nuts in a pot and boiling them. Continuously stir with a spoon until the outer skin naturally falls off; this results in clear, visually appealing ginkgo kernels. To remove bitterness:Place the peeled white nuts in a large plastic container, cover with water, and store in a cool, well-ventilated area for about a week, changing the water every two days before cooking them as desired. In the past, people ate white fruit as a meal, but died the next day."According to modern medical research, white fruit contains a substance similar to strychnine. If the solution is injected into experimental animals, they may experience convulsions and eventually die due to spinal paralysis. Currently, the medical community believes that eating 7-15 pieces of white fruit can cause poisoning in children. While cooked white fruit has reduced toxicity, one should not eat too much at once. Children under 5 years old should not eat white fruit. Generally, it is best not to consume it regularly.
White fruit poisoning has been recorded in the past, and there have been reports. It mainly occurs during the season when white fruit ripens, and is caused by excessive consumption after cooking or boiling. After eating raw white fruit, symptoms appear 1-12 hours after consumption, including fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, convulsions, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, it can lead to respiratory failure and death. Some people also experience sensory impairment and paralysis of the lower limbs. It is important not to overuse white fruit. Food made from white fruit should also be consumed with caution. The outer skin of white fruit is toxic and can irritate the skin, causing contact dermatitis and blisters. Some people may also experience allergic dermatitis.
Symptoms of white fruit poisoning
The main symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, and cyanosis. In addition, there are obvious signs of damage to the central nervous system: headache, extreme fear, and convulsions, which can be triggered by even slight sounds or stimuli. Loss of consciousness or coma can also occur. In severe cases, it can lead to respiratory paralysis and death. The symptoms develop rapidly and require immediate medical attention.
Emergency measures for white fruit poisoning
The initial treatment should be to wash the stomach or use enemas.
Intravenous administration of saline or grape juice Sugar solution, to dilute the blood and treat dehydration. Activated charcoal can also be given. At the same time, symptomatic treatment should be provided: administer anti-convulsant drugs to those having convulsions, oxygen and respiratory stimulants to those with cyanosis, and perform artificial respiration.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Emergency Treatment
① 100g of fresh licorice, decocted in water;② 50g of white fruit shell, decocted in water;③ 30g of white fruit bark, decocted in water;④ 0.3g of musk, dissolved in warm water.
Detoxification of White Fruit
The taste of white fruit when cooked is really delicious, but there is a detoxification process before cooking. Otherwise, it cannot be eaten too much. First, after buying white fruit from the market, use a hammer to break open the hard shell and carefully crush it.
After removing the shell, there is another layer of skin on the white fruit, which should not be eaten. After removing the skin, the white, tender kernels will be revealed. Here is a good way to remove the skin: put all the white fruit in a pot and heat it. After the water boils, stir constantly with chopsticks. In this way, the outer skin will automatically fall off, and the white fruit will be translucent and beautiful.
Removing the bitterness of white fruit
Find a large plastic container, put all the peeled white fruit in the container, and add tap water. Then place it in a cool and well-ventilated place. (I put it in the living room last year, and several friends asked me what this beautiful thing was. Because it looks very tender and yellow, and is so large, it looks very beautiful.)Change the water every 1-2 days, and after one week, the preparation of white fruit will be complete. Then, how to cook it depends on your cooking skills.
