The flowers and roots of yellow cauliflower contain a toxic alkaloid, usually thought to be colchicine. Colchicine inhibits the process of cell mitosis and keeps chromosomes in mid-division, which is commonly used in cytology and breeding, and it also has anti-inflammatory properties, making it a common treatment for diseases such as gout.
But a recent study points to an alkaloid in yellow cauliflower that is not colchicine. The authors of the paper collected more than 150 samples of edible yellow cauliflower from across the country for testing, and none of them detected colchicine, but rather another alkaloid that is structurally similar to colchicine.
However, whether the alkaloid in yellow cauliflower is colchicine or not, the fact that it can cause gastrointestinal irritation such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal symptoms is indisputable, and there have been few incidents of poisoning due to consumption of fresh yellow cauliflower.
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Fresh cauliflower so eat safe:
1, fresh cauliflower before eating the best to remove the stamen, because the stamen contains the most toxins.
2, fresh cauliflower before eating, should be cleaned and blanched, and then put into the cool water soaked for a few hours, and fully cooked and boiled, so that the toxins can be removed, so as to avoid food poisoning.
3, eat dry cauliflower more insurance. Dried cauliflower is not as good as fresh cauliflower, but the process of drying cauliflower can destroy the toxins it contains, so eat more safely.
People's Daily Online - Fresh cauliflower better? Beware of poisoning