Why rhubarb leaves are poisonous

Oxalate is a naturally occurring molecule found in abundance in plants and humans. Your kidneys filter your blood and remove toxins from your body. This can lead…. Getting your meals delivered can save major time on meal prep.

Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Oxalic acid Poisoning Bottom line Rhubarb is a plant that enjoys cold climates and is found in mountainous and temperate areas of the world like Northeast Asia. This article provides all the information you need on the safety of rhubarb leaves. Share on Pinterest. High in oxalic acid. Rhubarb leaf poisoning is rare.

The bottom line. Read this next. Is Rhubarb Good for You? All You Need to Know. Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. Medically reviewed by Judith Marcin, M.

Oxalate Oxalic Acid : Good or Bad? Medically reviewed by Carissa Stephens, R. Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. What Is a Low-Oxalate Diet? Medically reviewed by Elaine K. The answer is to eat seasonally and in moderation. If you have a kidney condition and eat a lot of foods and drinks containing oxalic acid then you have to balance it with bio available calcium. Thanks Robert for a great post.

Great post! Not closely related at all! Both common in supermarkets. Why do I ask? Idiot botanists made massive phylogenetic trees that were WRONG because they simply bought stuff in the supermarket. Science needs to be replicatable. I was derided at a BSA meeting where I pointed this out and have never been back. The red-faced idiots had to republish everything 8 years later. You would have to find the original study to find out.

I believe the issue with oxalic acid is more the structure of the compound. As I understand it, oxalic acid forms small sharp crystals. In plants that have high amounts, such as some of the aroids like dieffenbachia, if a person or pet chews on the plant, crystals become lodged in the throat causing it to swell, and resulting in possible suffocation.

So oxalic acid can be a problem; perhaps the level in rhubarb is enough to cause the tart flavor but not enough to cause medical issues. I have read that of aroids, but have not looked into it.

Jack-in-the-pulpit plants contain calcium oxalate crystals which have the effect you describe. Rhubarb does not seem to have these. So interesting! I love the way you challenge gardening myths and if not debunk them at least give us some research as the basis for your views. Power to your elbow! Goats love Rhubarb leaves, so if you have Goats you never need to wonder where to toss the leaves. Well that is a surprise! I always thought the same and like most people in the UK after the war, rhubarb was widely grown and eaten.

We grew up eating it and we knew about the poisonous leaves! That being said, there are home recipes incorporating the leaves for a pesticide spray on other plants. However my rhubarb leaves get munched on by insects or critters, leaving holes in them, and that always left me wondering why — if they are so poisonous!

Maybe — the science has not been completed to show a real toxicity. There is do doubt that the leaves contain some toxic substances, but that is true of every plant we eat. How toxic are they? Twice boiling meant cooking the leaves in two changes of water. So I tried it. I am still alive. Based on taste, there is no chance that anyone will ever eat too many rhubarb leaves. Grew up in the country in the U. Rhubarb pies were the weekly thing while in season. Almost as good as pigeon casserole.

Field clean remove the breasts and after a couple of hours you had enough breasts to feed our family of five. The art was to chew gently initially, checking for shot.

Absolutely delicious the pigeon, not the shot..!! Nuncle H. Very eye opening! I always wondered exactly how poisonous the leaves are, but like you said there is little mention out there about specific values.

Once again, you stumped an ongoing garden myth! Well done! Very interesting! Thank you for the info; it gives me things to think about. Our leaves are so big, perfect and beautiful — too lovely not to eat! People should bear in mind that tomatoes were regarded as being deadly poisonous until one man convinced everyone by eating them in public.

I've purchased yellow "butter beans" immature in the pods from a local farm stand. They are very good. But I just learned that lima beans have or convert into cyanide and so mature beans require long cooking to remove Joy Waite-Cusic Aug Featured question. We have experts in family and health, community development, food and agriculture, coastal issues, forestry, programs for young people, and gardening. Q: I had always been told that rhubarb leaves are extremely toxic, but my research has confused that notion!

A: Rhubarb leaves are toxic and humans should never ingest them. Serious poisonings can result in kidney failure. Deaths have been reported, but are rare. The stems are safe to eat. Related content. Grow Your Own Rhubarb This publication describes how to successfully grow rhubarb as a vegetable or as an ornamental plant in the home garden.

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