Buzz
Monsters are hiding in your home. Not one, but many. They're watching you, waiting. They're inside your fridge, your oven, and lurking in your kitchen cupboards. It seems that one of the most dangerous things you deal with every day is your food. The dangers tied to your diet go far beyond just heart disease or diabetes. Throughout history, catastrophic events have been caused by something as simple as food. Once you see what these deadly foods have done, you’ll never look at your local supermarket the same way again.
10. Bread
In the 1800s, England saw its population surge like never before. By 1850, London had become the largest city the world had ever seen. But this rapid growth led to severe shortages of everyday essentials, and opportunistic manufacturers wasted no time in capitalizing on the crisis...by using whatever they could get their hands on in their workshops.
Plaster of Paris and even chalk were often added to stretch the ingredients, but the worst offender was the use of dangerous alum. While safer versions of alum are used in pickling, the harmful kind—found in modern washing detergents—was widely used in bread. Not only did it increase the number of loaves per batch, but it also gave the bread a more appealing white hue. Unfortunately, alum blocks the absorption of essential nutrients, leading to severe malnutrition, diarrhea, and even fatalities, as starving citizens couldn't properly digest what little food they had access to.
9. Corn
In the early 1900s, the American South was struck by a terrifying new illness. With its telltale skin lesions and madness, the mysterious condition claimed over 100,000 lives between 1906 and 1940. The worst part? No one could determine where this 'pellagra' came from.
That was until Dr. Joseph Goldberger arrived on the scene. A Pennsylvania physician who joined the Public Health Service in 1899, Goldberger had spent years solving medical mysteries across the country. He noticed that the disease primarily affected the poor, who relied heavily on a diet made up almost entirely of cheap corn.
His dietary conclusions weren’t well received by Southern doctors, who insisted the illness was caused by a germ. To prove them wrong, Dr. Goldberger took an extreme measure: he ingested scabs from an infected patient’s sores, along with their urine and feces. He didn’t contract the disease, and his research ultimately revealed pellagra as a simple niacin deficiency.
8. Wine
For centuries, wine has been a symbol of class and sophistication, making it hard to imagine it could be anything but harmless (unless you count the occasional drunken brawl). But try telling that to English nobleman George Plantagenet.
A duke and brother of King Edward IV, Plantagenet found himself embroiled in a Game of Thrones-style medieval power struggle in the late 1400s. Constantly at odds with his brother, he began plotting to take him off the throne. However, before Plantagenet could act, Edward beat him to the punch. The duke was secretly imprisoned in the Tower of London and executed on February 18, 1478.
While traitors were typically beheaded, Edward had something even more insulting in mind for his sibling. He ordered Plantagenet to be drowned in a barrel of his beloved malmsey wine. After this particularly ironic execution, some say his body was left in the barrel and sent off for burial.
7. Chocolate
In the early 20th century, the world discovered a miracle. By adding just a tiny amount of a newly identified element, ordinary objects were transformed into magical creations. Clock faces and cosmetics were enhanced with this glowing wonder. Even candy makers began mixing it into chocolate, believing it had revitalizing properties. Too bad it was radioactive.
Radium-laced chocolate was just one of the dangerous products people eagerly consumed. Wines and water were also radiated before the risks became apparent. In 1925, The New York Times declared the end of the radium era, reporting a chilling new affliction: radium necrosis. Essentially radiation poisoning of the jaw, it was caused by ingesting radium. Victims suffered the decay of their lower face, with flesh and bone crumbling or tumors growing. Death followed swiftly.
6. Fish
For some, the idea of eating raw fish is terrifying enough, but a certain Japanese delicacy gives sushi-phobes one more reason to worry. Blowfish, or fugu, is prepared with the utmost care by expert sushi chefs. The law requires it. The government strictly regulates the process because even a small mistake could cost a customer their life.
The blowfish’s organs contain a toxin called tetrodotoxin. If any part of the fish is contaminated, this nightmarish poison starts with a mild numbness in the victim’s mouth. But soon, the numbness turns into full paralysis that spreads down the body. The person becomes completely immobilized, yet fully aware. Death comes when the paralysis reaches the lungs, suffocating the still-conscious diner. Thankfully, due to strict preparation laws, only 23 people have died from fugu in the past 16 years. Still, it’s not exactly a popular dish.
5. Nutmeg
In the 1600s, a fierce and bloody war raged between the English and the Dutch. The conflict, lasting for years, was over something we often sprinkle on eggnog.
The humble nutmeg became the unlikely centerpiece of this bizarre war, having gained status as a luxury item. The nobility of the time hoarded spices like treasures, and nutmeg was the most coveted addition to any spice cabinet. Revered for its exotic flavor, its supposed aphrodisiac qualities, and the belief that it could cure the Black Death, nutmeg was more valuable than gold. However, it could only be found on one small Indonesian island chain, the Bandas. This led both Dutch and English forces into horrific acts, including torture and mass killings, against each other and the innocent inhabitants of the islands, all in the name of securing nutmeg.
The bloodshed finally came to an end in 1667 when England signed a treaty surrendering control of their last remaining Banda island. In return, they received a rather unremarkable prize—the Dutch-controlled island of Manhattan.
4. Water
Throughout history, typhoid fever has taken countless lives. Minor outbreaks were not uncommon until 1903, when the city of Ithaca, New York, faced an unusually severe and aggressive wave of the disease. Construction was underway on the Six Mile Creek Dam, and the unscrupulous owners had failed to install any sort of filtration system. The conditions for the workers were harsh, with the entire crew forced to share a single outhouse, leading many to simply use the creek. The final blow came when some of the workers had recently relocated from an area in Italy plagued by frequent typhoid outbreaks.
The outcome was as clear as it was tragic. Residents of Ithaca began suffering from debilitating stomach pain and high fever. The sickness spread rapidly before anyone realized the cause—contaminated drinking water. As friends and family members fell ill, the town watched helplessly. Ultimately, 82 people, including 29 college students, lost their lives.
3. Rye
During the Middle Ages, Europe was plagued by what can only be described as a horrific nightmare. A strange affliction known as St. Anthony’s fire began to spread. Victims endured intense burning sensations in their hands and feet, the eerie feeling of insects crawling under their skin, and terrifying hallucinations. In severe cases, the infection caused the flesh on the hands and feet to die, necessitating amputation.
It wasn’t until much later that botanists were able to uncover the mystery behind this “holy fire.” The fungus Claviceps purpurea infects various grain plants, but it particularly favors rye. Small black growths called ergots develop alongside the grains on infected plants, and these were often ground up with the grains in medieval mills. The resulting flour, when used to bake bread, would infect humans, triggering the horrific symptoms.
Despite the horrific consequences, the study of ergot has paved the way for significant medical advances, including treatments for migraine headaches and psychological disorders. It also played a role in the development of psychedelic science, giving the world LSD.
2. Cheese
Listeria monocytogenes is a particularly dangerous bacterium. In humans, it causes an unpredictable illness called listeriosis, which can range from a mild flu to affecting the nervous system, leading to convulsions and even death. It also has a strong preference for cheese.
Products made with unpasteurized milk are prime targets for Listeria. In 1985, California’s Jalisco Products produced a batch of cheese without following the necessary pasteurization steps. This mistake led to one of the largest listeriosis outbreaks in history. Southern California was ravaged by the deadly neurological disease, which disproportionately affected pregnant women and newborns. The death toll ultimately reached a horrifying 62, including many stillbirths.
And this wasn’t just a one-time event. Listeriosis outbreaks connected to cheese are surprisingly frequent, even today. Maybe you should ask for a side of antibiotics the next time you grab a slice at your favorite pizzeria.
1. Grain
Medieval England just couldn’t catch a break. As if enduring constant warfare and the Black Plague weren’t enough, people had yet another obscure reason to barricade themselves in their mud cottages: English sweating sickness.
This mysterious illness primarily struck during the summers of the 15th and 16th centuries, and it was rapid and lethal. Within just 24 hours of infection, victims would break into a profuse sweat, struggle to breathe, suffer heart palpitations, and ultimately die. Despite being widely recorded in official records and even mentioned in literature (Shakespeare referenced it in Measure for Measure), its origin remained a mystery.
Today, researchers believe the hantavirus was behind the illness. The symptoms are eerily similar, and much like the Black Death, it spread through rodents. Medieval England was teeming with rats, which were notorious for feasting on grains like wheat and oats. As they nibbled away, they left behind urine that contaminated the food. Unfortunate peasants would then sit down to a meal, and an epidemic would ensue.
