Is there a "guide to picking wild vegetables in a closed community" circulating in the circle of friends? Experts give an urgent reminder

Recently, some rumors have been circulating online.

"Guide to Digging Wild Vegetables in Locked-Down Communities" and "Wild Vegetables Illustrated Guide"

Guide citizens to find wild vegetables in community green spaces

The article circulating online was originally intended to popularize science, but it was gradually "packaged" into a "guide to picking wild vegetables in closed communities"

In this regard, many plant experts in Shanghai

Issue an urgent reminder:

Do not dig any

Wild vegetables, tree roots, bamboo shoots, planting soil, etc.

Not only destroying the natural environment

There is also a high security risk

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Wild vegetables with unknown origins pose high risks

According to statistics, there are more than 120 kinds of wild vegetables in Shanghai. Many of them, such as shepherd's purse and grass head, have been cultivated on a large scale and in a standardized manner for many years, just like vegetables, because they are popular with consumers and are consumed in large quantities.

The growing environment and process of wild vegetables picked by citizens and tourists in the wild (including community green spaces) and parks are uncontrollable, and their "origin" is not traceable like artificially grown vegetables, so there is a great safety risk in eating them.

For example, wild vegetables grown in soil with high heavy metal content are enriched with a certain amount of heavy metals, and consuming them in large quantities may cause serious damage to the human body.

For example, wild vegetables growing on the roadside may have been harmed by car exhaust for a long time and contain high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a carcinogen.

Many parks and communities regularly spray herbicides, pesticides, etc. to control pests on ornamental plants or remove weeds around them. It is difficult for ordinary citizens to tell whether the wild vegetables they picked have been soaked in these harmful substances.

Experts also pointed out that picking and eating wild vegetables actually has a high botanical threshold. Some poisonous plants look like wild vegetables, and without experience, you can't tell them apart. Citizens who lack relevant knowledge and experience are advised not to "meddle blindly." Otherwise, it is easy to cause diarrhea or poisoning.

Even if you know the origin and safety of wild vegetables, it is not recommended for citizens to eat too much wild vegetables. Many wild vegetables can easily cause gastrointestinal discomfort after eating too much.

Some wild vegetables contain allergenic substances. People with certain special physical conditions may experience symptoms such as itching, redness and swelling of the skin after eating them in large quantities.

When some wild vegetables are processed, if they are not fully soaked in clean water or blanched in boiling water, the natural toxins in them will not be completely removed, which will also affect the health of the eater.

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Do not eat fungus or wild fruits without permission

In addition to wild vegetables, some communities with larger green areas may also have wood ears and wild fruits. It is also recommended not to pick and eat them without permission.

Experts from the Shanghai Forestry Department said that wood ear is a fungus food that parasitizes on trees, and the nutrients it needs for growth come from the trees it parasitizes on. If the tree is poisonous, the wood ear will more or less absorb the toxins from the tree during its growth process.

For example, camphor wood contains alkanes, phenols, alkenes and camphor ether, which have different degrees of toxic side effects on the human body, so the fungus on camphor wood cannot be eaten.

Even if the wood ear grows on trees without toxins, it cannot be eaten when it is freshly picked because it contains a substance called "porphyrin", which may cause skin itching, redness and swelling, and even rash, blisters, edema and other symptoms after consumption.

Wild fruits do not have much edible value. Experts say that untamed varieties may have thorns, taste astringent, and may contain allergic substances when immature; while domesticated varieties will have a better taste and appearance, and fewer substances that cause discomfort to the human body.

Source: Science Popularization China WeChat Official Account

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