Foods you SHOULD NOT EAT in the WILDERNESS - Survival Skills

Summary

This video script explores the perils of consuming certain items in the wild, emphasizing the importance of survival knowledge. It cautions against eating mushrooms due to the risk of poisoning, warns about the severe skin irritant poison ivy, and advises against consuming toxic plants like horse nettle fruit and rhododendron. It also highlights the danger of ingesting water from stagnant sources due to disease-carrying insects. The script serves as a guide for those venturing into the wilderness, offering a mix of practical advice and cautionary tales.

Takeaways

• 🍄 Mushrooms in the wild can be highly deceptive, with many poisonous varieties that closely resemble edible ones.
• 🌿 Poison Ivy is not only dangerous to touch but also extremely harmful if ingested, causing severe allergic reactions.
• 🍅 Horse Nuttall fruit, resembling cherry tomatoes, can cause severe abdominal pain and breathing difficulties if eaten.
• 🌺 Rhododendron, despite its beauty, is highly toxic with all parts of the plant being dangerous to both humans and animals.
• 🐠 Lionfish, though advocated for consumption by NOAA, still contains toxins that can cause ciguatera food poisoning.
• 🌲 Holly plants, common in Christmas decorations, have berries that can cause nausea, diarrhea, and even death.
• 🦇 Bats, while a source of protein in some cultures, carry numerous viruses and pose a significant health risk if consumed.
• 🌸 Foxgloves, despite their beauty, are highly poisonous and can affect heart rate if ingested.
• 🌿 Hemlock, infamous for the death of Socrates, is extremely toxic and can cause death if mistaken for edible plants.
• 💧 Even water can be dangerous in the wild, as stagnant or slow-moving water sources can harbor disease-carrying insects like mosquitoes.

Q & A

What are some of the potential dangers of eating mushrooms found in the wild?

Many mushrooms in the wild are poisonous and can be easily mistaken for edible varieties. Even if some mushrooms are edible, it's safer to avoid them unless you are an expert, as consuming the wrong type can lead to severe illness or death.

Why should one avoid consuming poison ivy when stranded in the wild?

Poison ivy contains an oil called urushiol, which causes a severe skin irritant. Contact with it can result in a blistering rash, and if ingested, it can lead to a rash inside the mouth, throat, and intestinal lining, along with nausea, vomiting, fever, and potentially death.

What is the risk associated with eating horsenettle fruit while lost in the wild?

Horsenettle fruit can cause abdominal pain, breathing difficulties, and other severe symptoms if consumed. It's important to avoid eating it off a bush while hiking, as it closely resembles edible cherry tomatoes.

Why are rhododendrons dangerous to consume, despite their beautiful appearance?

All parts of the rhododendron plant are toxic. Ingesting any part can lead to stomach irritation, abdominal pain, abnormal heart rate, coma, and even death. They are also harmful to other animals, earning nicknames like 'lamb kill' or 'calf kill.'

What is the issue with consuming lionfish, even if they are recommended as a way to control their population?

Lionfish contain high levels of toxins that can cause ciguatera, a type of fish-based food poisoning. Despite the NOAA's recommendation to eat them to control their population, the FDA found that over 25% of tested lionfish had unsafe levels of toxins.

How can holly plants pose a threat if consumed in the wild?

Holly berries are poisonous and can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and even death. While some varieties of holly leaves have been used for medicinal purposes, experts recommend avoiding ingesting them due to the risks involved.

What health risks are associated with eating bat meat in a survival situation?

Bats are known to host a variety of viruses, including those that may cause diseases like Ebola. The risk is not from the meat itself but from being bitten or scratched by the bat or from contact with bodily fluids during preparation.

What makes foxgloves particularly dangerous if consumed while stranded in the wild?

Foxgloves contain components that can cause mouth pain, nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, and can significantly affect heart rate. These effects can be life-threatening, making them a dangerous plant to consume.

Why is hemlock one of the most dangerous plants to consume in the wild?

Hemlock contains a toxic alkaloid called coniine, which can cause poisoning with symptoms like vomiting, weakness, trembling, and can lead to coma and nervous system depression. It's known for being the cause of death for the Greek philosopher Socrates.

Why is water, despite being essential, considered the most dangerous 'thing' to consume in the wild?

Stagnant or slow-flowing water can be a breeding ground for insects, including mosquitoes that transmit diseases like malaria, dengue, and West Nile virus. Consuming such water can lead to severe illnesses, making it crucial to find a more reliable source like a running stream.

Outlines

00:00

🏝️ Survival in the Wild: What Not to Eat

This paragraph discusses the importance of food in survival situations, particularly in the wild. It emphasizes that while hunting or fishing might seem like viable options, in reality, many would resort to safer, more accessible food sources like coconuts. The paragraph also warns about the dangers of consuming unknown berries, which could lead to severe illness or death. It introduces a list of ten things to avoid eating in the wild, starting with mushrooms due to the difficulty in distinguishing between edible and poisonous varieties.

05:00

🍄 Toxic Treats in Nature: Avoid These at All Costs

Paragraph two delves into the risks associated with consuming certain plants and animals in the wild. It covers poison ivy, which can cause severe skin irritation, and the horsenut fruit, known to cause abdominal pain and breathing difficulties. The rhododendron plant is highlighted for its toxicity to both humans and animals, with historical references to its harmful effects. The paragraph also touches on the dangers of lionfish, which despite being advocated for consumption by some organizations, can still contain harmful levels of toxins.

10:03

⚠️ Deadly Delights: The Most Dangerous Things in the Wild

The final paragraph focuses on the most hazardous items one might encounter in a survival scenario. It includes holly, which can cause severe gastrointestinal issues and even death, and bats, known to carry a multitude of viruses. Foxgloves, with their potential to disrupt heart rate, and hemlock, infamously linked to Socrates' death, are also mentioned. The paragraph concludes with a surprising entry: water, which, despite being essential, can be a source of disease when sourced from stagnant pools, potentially leading to illnesses like malaria.

Keywords

💡Survival

Survival refers to the ability of an organism to remain alive under challenging conditions. In the context of the video, survival is the central theme, focusing on what to avoid eating when stranded in the wild. The script discusses various plants and animals that, despite appearing edible, can be harmful or even lethal, emphasizing the importance of knowledge and caution for survival.

💡Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a type of fungi that can be found in various environments. The video script warns against consuming wild mushrooms due to the difficulty in distinguishing between edible and poisonous varieties. It mentions that while some mushrooms are safe to eat, many are not, and consuming the wrong type can lead to serious health consequences, illustrating the perils of foraging without expertise.

💡Poison Ivy

Poison ivy is a plant known for causing skin irritation and allergic reactions. The script uses poison ivy as an example of a plant that should be avoided in the wild due to its toxic properties. It contains an oil called urushiol, which can cause a severe rash upon contact. The video emphasizes that even the idea of consuming poison ivy to build immunity is extremely dangerous.

💡Rhododendron

Rhododendron is a genus of flowering plants that can be toxic. In the video, it is highlighted as a plant with beautiful flowers and leaves that are harmful if ingested. The script explains that all parts of the rhododendron are toxic, with the leaves being particularly dangerous, causing symptoms like stomach irritation, abnormal heart rate, and potentially death.

💡Lionfish

Lionfish are venomous marine animals with brightly colored fins. The video discusses the challenges of consuming lionfish, as they contain toxins that can cause ciguatera, a type of fish poisoning. Despite advocacy by some organizations for eating lionfish to control their population, the script cautions that they can still be dangerous due to the presence of toxins, highlighting the risks associated with consuming unfamiliar seafood.

💡Hemlock

Hemlock is a plant notorious for its toxicity, historically used as a poison. The script references hemlock in the context of Socrates' death, emphasizing its deadliness. It is a member of the parsley family, and its leaves and seeds are particularly toxic, containing the alkaloid coniine. The video uses hemlock to illustrate the danger of misidentifying plants in the wild.

💡Stagnant Water

Stagnant water refers to water that is not flowing or circulating. The video warns against drinking from stagnant or slow-moving water sources due to the risk of waterborne diseases. It mentions that such water can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which transmit diseases like malaria, dengue, and West Nile virus, underscoring the importance of finding clean, moving water sources for hydration.

💡Poisonous Berries

Poisonous berries are a type of fruit that can cause illness or death when ingested. The script mentions several plants with toxic berries, such as holly and foxgloves, which can cause symptoms ranging from nausea and vomiting to more severe reactions like heart problems. The video uses these examples to stress the importance of identifying edible plants accurately in a survival situation.

💡Wildlife

Wildlife refers to non-domesticated animals living in natural environments. The video touches on the consumption of bats, which are known to carry various viruses and can be dangerous if eaten. It cautions against the risk of contracting diseases like Ebola from handling or consuming bat meat, highlighting the potential health hazards of consuming wildlife without proper knowledge.

💡Toxic Plants

Toxic plants are those that contain substances harmful to humans or animals. The video provides several examples of toxic plants, including poison ivy, rhododendron, and hemlock, which can cause a range of symptoms from skin irritation to severe poisoning. The script emphasizes the need to recognize and avoid these plants to ensure survival in the wild.

💡Ciguatera

Ciguatera is a type of food poisoning caused by consuming fish that contain toxins produced by certain marine algae. The video mentions ciguatera in the context of lionfish, which can carry these toxins. The script explains that symptoms of ciguatera include not only typical food poisoning symptoms but also neurological problems, such as tingling in the hands and a feeling of loose teeth, illustrating the risks of consuming certain types of seafood.

Highlights

Survival in the wild involves careful selection of food sources, as some can be poisonous or harmful.

Coconuts can be a reliable food source when stranded on an island, providing both nutrition and materials for survival.

Mushrooms should be avoided in the wild due to the difficulty in distinguishing between edible and poisonous varieties.

Poison ivy contains an oil that can cause severe skin irritation and allergic reactions, which can be deadly.

Horse Nuttall fruit resembles cherry tomatoes but is toxic, causing abdominal pain and breathing difficulties.

Rhododendrons are toxic, with all parts of the plant being harmful, especially the leaves.

Lionfish, despite being advocated for consumption by NOAA, can contain high levels of toxins causing ciguatera.

Holly berries are poisonous, causing nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and potentially death.

Bats are a source of protein but also host numerous viruses, making them risky to consume.

Foxgloves are poisonous flowers that can cause heart rate issues and other severe symptoms.

Hemlock is highly toxic and has been used as a poison; it can cause coma and nervous system depression.

Stagnant water can be a breeding ground for disease-carrying insects, such as mosquitoes that transmit malaria.

Survival in the wild requires avoiding certain plants and animals that pose significant health risks.

Even in survival situations, it's crucial to identify safe food and water sources to avoid poisoning and disease.

The video provides a list of ten things to avoid eating in the wild, emphasizing the importance of knowledge in survival scenarios.

Transcripts

[Music]

for a second let's just forget the

thought of rescue and skip right to the

part of what exactly a person would eat

if they got stranded in the wild for the

adventurous ones among you you would

imagine hunting down a deer or other

animal or jump right into the water and

catch a fish but when you'll actually be

put into the situation you'd resort to

picking up coconuts that had already

fallen to the crowd now let's not forget

one thing

stranded on an island with readily

available coconuts dry husk for making

fire and an ocean full of fish right

next to you is one lucky place to get

stranded if you do get stranded chances

are your car will stop working in the

middle of nowhere on a road trip or you

went hiking in the woods and lost your

way but whatever the case talking about

survival is fun imagining cooking this

and that on hot stones and making a hut

with branches and leaves clinging in the

water trying to poke at some fish until

you catch one making new clothes like

Tinker Bell yeah all that is awesome

just until you pop a tempting red berry

in your mouth and next thing you know

you have a horrible bellyache and two

days later you're dead and vultures are

feasting on you yeah that went from a

happy sunny musical Disney day to

something you'd see in a nightmare food

is a very important part of survival

although we can live without it for up

to three weeks a rumbling belly is hard

to keep quiet

today let's look at ten things that we

should never eat in the wild that's

right not what you can find on a

scavenger hunt but when you see one of

these you want to turn back and run but

before we prepare you to set you out in

the wild don't forget to subscribe and

press the notification button to get

updated with new interesting videos like

this one number 10 mushrooms

who doesn't love roasted mushrooms

marinated green sport parasols and

morals are the best if you fell for that

maybe you might want to stay away from

all mushrooms when you're out in the

wild mushrooms can be deceiving

there are many edible mushrooms outdoors

but not a good choice to make because

among the thousands of edible

in the wild there are many poisonous

ones as well and they look very much

alike and you might be thinking oh look

tonight I can grill some white button

mushrooms on a stick along with that poo

fish I caught this morning but turns out

it was a poisonous green sport parasol

unless you're some sort of fungi expert

it's better to leave those tasty

delights alone

you're better off buying your shrooms at

the grocery store the prized morel

mushrooms have an evil twin the toxic

false morals and then they're on the

delicious chanterelles which have an

evil brother the poisonous

jack-o'-lantern mushroom that's only to

name a few there are more than just a

few names and pictures you can memorize

remember better safe than sorry

eat your mushrooms from the grow sorry

number nine poison ivy if you're not

stupid you probably realize that you

have to stay away from this plant why in

the world would anyone want to go check

out something that has poison in its

name hey don't worry about it

if you cook it it kills the poison or

maybe you didn't know it was poison ivy

and and you wanted to see if you could

make a backscratcher out of the leaves

one of the two poison ivy looks very

similar to other harmless vines so it

can be mistaken this plant contains an

oil you Russia oh that is a severe skin

irritant touching it can cause a

blistering rash and if you've been

exposed to it you can become allergic

allergic reactions can be deadly

what strange is that some genius thought

that eating poison ivy might help

develop immunity to it which was a

really really bad idea never try it on

that will happen is that you'd get a

rash inside your mouth throat and

intestinal lining you'll have nausea

vomiting fever and you could even die

number eight horse Nuttall fruit say one

day you're hiking and you spot some

cherry tomatoes growing in bunches first

thing you do leave all that you have and

go start picking them

who doesn't like cherry tomatoes but

eating them off a bush while you're

hiking in the middle of nowhere isn't a

good idea I'm pretty sure Red Riding

Hood didn't come to that exam

spot and garden some there and for one

thing while tomatoes don't even grow in

48 states in US but that's not to say

they don't grow in other parts of the

globe the tomato family actually has

quite a lot of relatives they are wild

and dangerous the kind that you don't

want your children hanging out with even

if they're related to you horst nano is

that hippie cousin of yours that lives

in a tent in the backyard this fruit is

typically yellow or green and looks like

an unripe cherry tomato things get worse

when winter comes around because that's

when the plant itself shrivels up and is

dead but that small fruit stays tempting

and juicy and if you pop that into your

mouth be prepared for abdominal pain

breathing difficulties and other awful

symptoms number 7 next up is the

rhododendron looks beautiful another

name for this plant is the king of the

shrubs because this flowering evergreen

plant thrives in temperate landscapes

although this isn't one of the types of

plants that on seeing one would go oh

look there's food rather we'd pick them

up and make a necklace or stick them in

our hair or something on the other hand

your hippie cousin might be a fan of

munching on flowers rhododendrons have

large leathery leaves and pretty

clusters of red white pink and purple

flowers it would look great if a wedding

banquet was decorated with these

unfortunately no one would want to go to

that wedding because every part of a

rhododendron is toxic and the leaves in

particular are even more dangerous for

sure you'll have stomach irritation and

abdominal pain if you start munching on

one of these but that's not where it

stops it can cause abnormal heart rate

coma and even death these beautiful

bunches of flowers are not only

dangerous to humans but to other animals

as well some even call rhododendron as

lamb kill or calf kill as young animals

unaware of the danger have often died

from eating large amounts of leaves or

flowers written records have been found

that talk of rhododendron poisoning from

long ago as 400 BCE when 1000 Greek

soldiers had become sick from honey

intoxication that honey was made from

rhododendron nectar so don't only be

aware of what flowers you eat and be

aware of where you get your honey now

that I think about it honey intoxication

is a pretty good murder plan no one will

even suspect it when you give them a

nicely wrapped and ribbond crystal

container of honey and after all the

blame is on the bees right number six

lionfish now this one you might want to

catch it if you spot it but beware these

fish have high levels of toxins in them

but there is a catch

these colorful lionfish are native to

the Pacific Ocean and in recent times

they have taken over Caribbean waters

but they have become a big problem for

the reef ecosystems as they have a

voracious appetite so to combat this

problem the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration actually

advocated eating this fish to help get

rid of them the NOAA did admit that

these fish have venomous spines but they

said if it's removed the fish were safe

to eat but don't go out ordering grilled

lionfish so what if an Oh AAA advises it

according to FDA in 2010 about 200

lionfish were tested and more than 25%

of the fish had unsafe levels of toxins

that caused ciguatera but don't think

ciguatera is an anomaly about 50,000

cases of this sickness are reported

annually around the globe it is a type

of fish based food poisoning and causes

the typical food poisoning symptoms

along with neurological problems you may

experience tingling in the hands and

feel like your teeth are coming loose

number 5 Holly this may look familiar to

the wreath you hang during Christmas but

there are many species of this plant and

some of those grow in the wild however

when you're stranded and you pop some of

these berries into your mouth

it can cause nausea diarrhea vomiting

and even death not so Christmasy anymore

the berries are poisonous but the leaves

are a whole different story

of Americans used to use the leaves of

some of the varieties of Holly plants

for medicinal purposes for over

centuries hillocks from materia a

species of the Holly plant helped induce

vomiting while the Elex Oheka was used

as a heart stimulant tea was even made

with some of the holy leaves that was

involved in converting everything from

coughs congestion high blood pressure

and water retention in the joints

despite the widespread use and the

benefits experts recommend to stay away

from ingesting holly leaves as it seems

to be too risky number four

bats we're talking survival here when

you haven't eaten for a week no hope of

rescue you might want to catch whatever

you spot and if you have been watching

those survival shows you might already

have had it in your mind did you know be

it a matter of survival or not people

around the world eat bat meat as a

delicacy

bats are smoked and put in soups and

they are apparently a good source of

protein so should you go for it I'm not

sure you would want to risk it because

bats host more viruses than any other

mammal on the earth it is even believed

that the outbreak of ebola in 2014

came from bats in West Africa although

the harm isn't so much from eating the

bat meat itself but from being bitten or

scratched by one when you're catching it

or from touching any bodily fluid while

you're cooking and cleaning it Ebola

isn't the only disease bats have been

linked to people have suffered from high

rates of strange neurological illnesses

that was traced to the consumption of

eating the Mariana flying fox a type of

bat this pad has a habit of eating seeds

from cycad plants and obtains its

neurotoxins and thus becomes dangerous

for consumption so when you're out in

the wound let's just stick to stealing

bird eggs instead number three foxgloves

the prettiest ones are often the most

dangerous there are a bunch of edible

flowers for example marigolds carnations

bee balm and more but that doesn't mean

you could randomly go and start picking

pretty flowers in your basket to cook

soup later on lots of them are poisonous

and

that includes foxgloves they are also

called throat wart or witch's thimble

and you can guess why

first off eating foxgloves will make

your mouth hurt second you'll develop

nausea start vomiting and of course

cramps and diarrhea the most dangerous

effect of the plant is that it can

affect your heart rate however those

same components that cause this is great

for producing digitalis a hard drug used

in the medical industry number two

hemlock

did you know how the Greek philosopher

Socrates died he was sentenced to death

by drinking poison hemlock tea so unless

you want to meet Socrates any time soon

eating hemlock isn't the smartest idea

this plant is a member of the parsley

family and its leaves are often mistaken

for wild parsley and its roots for

parsnips every part of this plant is

toxic with the seeds being especially

dangerous

it contains kony a toxic alkaloid if you

happen to mistake it for parsley and

sprinkle some on your bat soup with a

side of Holly leaf tea and horse nettle

salad you better eat up because that's

the last meal you'll have Hemlock

poisoning causes the typical poisoning

symptoms from vomiting weakness and

trembling and it can also put you in a

coma and depress your nervous system

number one the most dangerous of them

all in the wild is water and yes I know

maybe water doesn't belong on this list

because it technically isn't edible but

it's drinkable it's something that goes

in your mouth so it's worth talking

about if you haven't managed any food at

least you would have a room some water

after being stranded two or three days

thirst can be a powerful motivator say

you went biking into the woods crashed

into a tree broke your bike and scraped

your knees when you got up you realize

you're too far away to walk to any place

of safety even within a few hours you

start walking when you go to take a sip

of water from your flask and it's empty

luckily you see a pool of stagnant water

and run to it take a long sip and quench

your thirst after all on a hot day like

this one it's better to have a sip than

going hours without even a drop next

thing you know

you do eventually get saved but now

you're in a hospital with malaria any

stagnant water or even slow flowing

water is a perfect place for innumerable

insects to breed among these insects

mosquitoes are the first to happen and

they're well known for transmitting

serious diseases like malaria dengue and

West Nile virus

so you're better off holding it all

together and marching off and search for

a more reliable source of water like a

running stream have you ever been lost

or stranded in the wild and had to

arrange food from whatever was around

you if so comment in the section below

and share your experience and advice

with us

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