A social media vlogger accidentally poisoned herself after eating what she thought was Aloe vera. Ms Zhang was filming a segment about the plant’s health benefits when she took a bite out of what turned out to be an Agave americana plant and poisoned herself.
She is heard saying “this is great” in the video, but shortly afterwards her mouth went numb, her throat felt like it was on fire, and she was forced to go to the hospital.
According to Motherboard, Ms Zhang noticed a bitter taste after eating the plant. She was taken to the hospital with burns and sores in her mouth after the video ended. She was pumped in there and is now in stable condition.
Aloe vera’s purported health benefits are not entirely clear. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, “there is not enough evidence to show whether aloe vera is helpful for most of the purposes for which people use it.”
Agave Americana is grown in Mexico and North America and is also known as American aloe due to its resemblance to Aloe vera. Despite the fact that they are toxic, they are commonly used as ornamental plants.
According to Cornell University’s department of animal science, “Agave americana has several toxic compounds, not all of which have been positively identified.” “It contains incredibly irritating calcium oxalate raphides (microscopic crystalline oxalate daggers) as well as some other really irritating oils in the sap.”
While the video did not prove the health benefits of Aloe vera as planned, it did show the dangers of eating plants without knowing exactly what you’re eating.
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