Man close to death after eating cherry stones
A 28-year-old man from Blackpool was rushed to the hospital after consuming three cherry stones, without knowing they contained cyanide, according to the Independent.
Matthew Creme, father-of-three, had been enoying a box of Suntrail Farm cherries, which he purchased from Tesco, when he decided to try a stone. He bit into the stone to find a nut inside. He found it delicious and ate two more.
Cherry stones contain amygdalin, a compound that breaks down into cyanide when ingested. Within 10 minutes, the man began to feel increasingly unwell and his temperature soared. His partner, Georgina Mason, 23, called the emergency services. After being told that he had consumed a lethal dose of cyanide, Creme was taken to the hospital, where he was promptly treated.
loading...
Matthew said that the hospital staff have asked him to sign a document to let them use his case as a reference for future similar incidents, according to Metro. “Staff told me it is so rare that they get someone in for what I had. I am just happy to help,” he said.
Symptoms of cyanide poisoning include stomach cramps, headache, nausea and vomiting. If left untreated, they can lead to cardiac arrest, respiratory failure and death. A fatal dose can be as little as 1.5 mg per kg of a person’s weight.
Apple seeds also contain amygdalin, according to a recent study. The amygdalin content of apple seeds is 3mg per gram of seeds, with one seed weighing around 0.7 g. However, apple lovers should not worry, because they would have to consume a substantial amount of apple pips to poison themselves.
Other fruits that contain amygdalin are apricots, that contain 14.4mg/g and greengage plums, with 17.5g/mg. Meanwhile, red cherries contain 3.9 mg/g of seeds.
Loading...