United Kingdom : cherry stones intoxicate a man

gresey/Epictura

Published the 29.07.2017 at 20h16

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Fruits are part of the small delights of summer, especially the peaches, apricots and cherries. Lovers of stone fruit, however, please take care of yourselves, the misadventure of the father of a british family recalls that they may prove toxic. If their flesh is quite harmless, it is not the same for their kernel.

Matthew Creme, 28 years old, was poisoned with canned cherries, reports The Independent. Out of curiosity, the young man would have decided to eat the cherries whole, with their nuclei. He was not content to swallow, but the more and more chewed ! What would have simply been able to cost him his life.

The almond-toxic

Taken quickly to headache and fever, it has been supported by the emergency services of Blackpool, and admitted to the hospital. It is then proved that the young man was poisoned.

The kernels of cherries contain the effect of amygdalin, which when ingested can turn into hydrogen cyanide, toxic for humans, The cherries are not the only fruit : plums, peaches, apricots, bitter almonds, but also apples contain amygdalin.

More precisely, it is the kernel inside kernels and seeds that contains the molecule toxic. Swallow a kernel is not too serious, but it is better to avoid chewing. The kernels of apricots and peaches that can open very easily it is recommended to be careful with the younger ones, who were also out of curiosity, might be tempted of machouiller the almond fruit. Matthew Creme would, for its part, requested that a message of prevention to be added to jars and preserved cherries, reports The Dauphiné.