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Hello, I'm the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com.
Here's your outdoor tip on mushrooms—poisonous, or not.
A popular outdoor activity for many people is collecting edible mushrooms. This is a hobby that should be pursued with a great amount of caution since errors made in collection of the wrong kind of mushroom—a poisonous one—can be deadly.
Each year poison control centers in the United States answer more than 6,000 calls regarding the consumption of poisonous mushrooms. About 2,500 are treated in health care facilities and more than 500 cases result in serious illness.
Watch out for old folk tales that tell you how to avoid poisonous mushrooms. For example, a mushroom that has been eaten by an animal is safe—wrong! Or dried fungus is safe—wrong! A mushroom growing on wood is not poisonous—wrong!
The only way to be safe is to be able to have 100% identification skills.
The kinds of toxins in mushrooms fall into four categories.
1. The most serious is the toxin that will act as cellular poison. Symptoms of this toxin may not happen until several hours or days after eaten and the poison is often deadly.
2. The second type of toxin affects the nerves. Symptoms may occur directly after ingestion and will include abdominal pain, diarrhea, dehydration, and vomiting. This nerve poisoning can also be fatal.
3. Another toxin causes gastrointestinal irritation. These symptoms may occur right away after eating the fungus.
4. The final category is dangerous when you consume alcohol. The toxin stops the metabolism of the alcohol and causes nausea, vomiting, and vasomotor reactions.
You also need to be careful of eating mushrooms that may have absorbed pesticides and pollution form the environment. In addition, mushroom allergies are common. Improper handling and storage of fungi can too create food poisoning.
Positively identifying mushrooms starts with a field guide and basic understanding of mushroom anatomy. Being active in a mycology club will also be a great help to your ability to identify editable mushrooms.
No matter how much education and training you have had—remember if you cannot be 100% sure of your identification—do not eat mushrooms that you have collected. The old rule does apply…better safe than sorry. Taking pictures of fungi with your camera is a fun activity and may be the best hobby for you.
This is the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com.
References: Additional Reading
Poisonous Mushrooms
http://www.natureskills.com/outdoor-safety/poisonous-mushrooms/
Poisonous Mushrooms Pose Danger as More People Forage for Locally Grown Food, Rutgers Experts Say
http://news.rutgers.edu/feature/poisonous-mushrooms-pose-danger-more-people-forage-locally-grown-food-rutgers-experts-say/20130920#.U5yAH_mJ-yU
Poisonous Mushrooms
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/wong/BOT135/Lect19.htm
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