Zucchini Poisoning is Real – Why It Happens and How to Avoid It

The Culprit: Cucurbitacins Zucchini can sometimes contain high levels of cucurbitacins, bitter compounds that are toxic and cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

What Causes High Cucurbitacin Levels? Stress factors like drought, cross-pollination with wild gourds, or improper cultivation can increase cucurbitacin content in zucchini.

What Causes High Cucurbitacin Levels? Stress factors like drought, cross-pollination with wild gourds, or improper cultivation can increase cucurbitacin content in zucchini.

Avoid Home-Saved Seeds Seeds saved from previous harvests may carry the bitter trait, increasing the risk of toxic zucchini in future crops.

Buy from Reputable Sources Purchase zucchini from trusted stores or farmers’ markets to minimize the chances of encountering toxic varieties.

Cook Zucchini Thoroughly While cooking doesn’t eliminate cucurbitacins, it can reduce the bitterness and make the vegetable more palatable.

Discard Wild or Unusual Zucchini Do not consume wild or unusually shaped zucchinis, as they may have crossbred with wild bitter varieties.

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