Gas

The normal GI flora

• synthesize vitamin

• prevent colonization by pathogens

• stimulate the production of natural antibodies.

Gas

Significant numbers anaerobic methanogic bacteria may reside in the colon of humans and other mammals.

Bolusa small round soft mass, esp of

chewed food

Toxic Foods

Puffer Fish Certain organs of the fish, such as the liver, are extremely toxic, and can be deadly. The poison in the fish, known as tetrodotoxin, can cause numbness, high blood pressure, and muscle paralysis, which is what leads to death as the diaphragm muscles become paralyzed, disabling breathing. Known as fugu when eaten as a meal, many in Asian countries refuse to not eat the fish.

Cashews • Raw cashews contain urushiol, which is the same chemical that you’d find in poison ivy. It can cause the body to have a very similar reaction to one experienced from poison oak or ivy. If a high level of urushiol is ingested, it can be deadly.

Chilies

In chilies, capsaicin is what makes them spicy and “hot.” If you eat enough of them, capsaicin can kill you. In hotter chilies, such as habaneros, capsaicin can be felt on the skin if you cut the chili, as it will produce a burning sensation.

Potatoes• The stem and leaves of

the plant are toxic, and even the potato itself is toxic. This is due to levels of glycoalkaloid poison. Deaths due to potato poisoning are rare, most happen due to someone drinking potato leaf tea, or eating green potatoes. Death doesn’t come suddenly. It usually results in weakness and then a coma. Discard any potatoes that have green eyes, sprouts, or greenish skins

Tomatoes

• Tomatoes and potatoes are part of the same botanical family.

• The stem and leaves of the plant are toxic. Again, this is due to levels of glycoalkaloid poison.

Cherries• A cherry pit also

produces hydrogen cyanide.

• Symptoms of mild poisoning include headache, dizziness, confusion, anxiety, and vomiting.

• Larger doses can lead to difficulty breathing, increased blood pressure and heart rate, and kidney failure. Reactions can include coma, convulsions, and death from respiratory arrest.

Apples

• The fruit itself does not contain the chemical, but there is cyanide in the apple’s seeds.

Ground Meat

• WASHINGTON, April 21, 2010 - Beltex Corporation, a Fort Worth, Texas, establishment, is recalling approximately 135,500 pounds of beef trim products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7

Salt

Because elevated sodium intake contributes to high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and other health problems, a federal effort to cut salt in the food people eat could prevent 100,000 deaths a year, said the report, by the Institute of Medicine.

NYT, April 20, 2010