Danger!

We can't go to gyms, so we've taking up walking with a vengeance. Dinners with friends inside is not advisable, so we've taken to gathering in parks, on decks and in makeshift dining rooms on the street. Seeing a show or movie in a theater is out, so al fresco stages and drive ins have gone from a curiosity to the only game in town. And while I don't like it I can come to terms with all of that. But now an insidious new danger has presented itself. And it strikes at the very core of one of the few things that I can do to get through this period, and that's eat. 

With more time at home and in easy reach of the kitchen, my grazing has intensified. I try and be a good boy, I really do. I'll grab an apple as I wander out to check the mail, or maybe some baby carrots en route to get a sweater. But if there is a monkey on my back it's my love of salt and sugar. So for every apple there's a pretzel (or two). For every carrot there's 's a Twizzler (or three). Thankfully, on that last point, my jones is for the red varietal. That's because a report in The New England Journal of Medicine this week highlights a case of death by licorice.

Seems that black licorice contains glycyrrhizic acid, a plant extract often used as a sweetener. Like many chemicals we all ingest, it's not a major issue in limited amounts. However, if consumed in high enough doses it can lead to a drop in potassium levels. And this gentleman reportedly ate one to two large bags of black licorice a day for three weeks, which qualifies as "high enough" and which subsequently precipitated a heart attack. He was rushed to Mass General, but never regained consciousness and died 24 hours later.

To be fair, too much of almost anything isn't good for you. And while you rarely hear of someone overdosing on kale, it's surprising how many foods have the potential to not merely upset your stomach but to do serious damage. As with the poor gentlemen in the report, you would have to eat amounts well beyond the norm to get to a toxic level. Still, while most are more likely to binge on Ben and Jerry's Urban Bourbon than on cherry pits (which contain traces of cyanide), anything is possible.

For instance, nutmeg is used in everything from pumpkin pie to topping your latte. But eat it by the spoonful, and it can cause major issues. As little as 2 teaspoons can be toxic, as that adds up to a high level of myristicin, an oil in the spice that can cause hallucinations, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, and seizures. Too much coffee, tuna and cinnamon are also not advisable, as they respectively contain caffeine, mercury and coumarin, all chemicals that are dangerous at higher levels. 

In the case of other foods, it's less the amounts you eat than the part you are eating. Rhubarb goes well with strawberries, but only the stalks. The leaves contain oxalic acid which can stop your bones from absorbing calcium. Mangoes work in salsa or salads, as long as you don't eat the skin. There you'll find urushiol, the toxin in poison ivy, which can cause a severe reaction with swelling, rash, and even problems breathing. And potatoes can be baked, fried or mashed, as long as you avoid the green leaves, sprouts and stems. Those parts contain glycoalkaloid, which can cause nausea, diarrhea, confusion, headaches, and even death. 

Then there are those where preparation is the difference maker. Kidney beans have to be boiled before you use them as just 4 or 5 raw ones can give you a bad stomachache, make you vomit, or give you diarrhea. Consumption of improperly prepared cassava has been linked to goiters and pancreatitis. And Fugu or pufferfish has to be carefully carved, as parts contain a neurotoxin more poisonous that cyanide, and there is no antidote.

Odds are I'm safe, as I don't tend to ingest too much of any one thing. I eat most things in moderation, whether they be good for me or not. Protein like chicken, starches like pasta, treats like cookies, staples like Reeses's – whoops. On second thought, I may be at higher risk than I thought. 

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Marc Wollin of Bedford has been trying snack safely. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.