The other day I heard a mother trying to convince her child to taste a handful of roasted sunflower seeds from a kiosk selling snacks. The child was hesitant, as he had never tasted sunflower seeds before and was visibly confused by the idea. But he was helped by his mother’s words of encouragement: “If a seed has the power to grow a huge tree, how healthy must it be for you.” Needless to say, the child was munching away at the seeds in no time.

Although comparing the energy provided by seeds to the strength of a tree might be an exaggeration, it is correct that most seeds are indeed very healthy to consume. They provide fibre, a variety of vitamins and minerals, good fats and proteins, along with a balance of nutritional content.

Some of the healthiest seeds include chia, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin and flax. In most cases, one may need to remove the outer shell of these seeds or crush it into a powdered form for easy consumption and digestion.

One of the local favourites among seeds are those of watermelons and melons, which are dried and the internal part — locally known as giri — is consumed while removing the hard exterior coating. Many consume the healthy and crunchy seeds of watermelon directly, while eating the red and juicy fleshy part.

While most fruit and vegetable seeds pack plenty of health benefits, some of them can have unintended health consequences that one must be be wary of

Most of the seeds also make their way into many extracted traditional and herbal medicines and even oils. Some of the very common seeds that we readily consume without any need to think over and remove their outer shells include, but are not limited to, peas, strawberry, guava, beans, lentils, nuts and a number of spices and cereals. Not to forget the fruit of coconut, which itself is a seed.

But one must keep in mind that many of the healthy seeds mentioned above should be consumed in limited quantities, because almost all seeds generally have the tendency to disturb different gastrointestinal functions. I remember a friend of mine had to be treated for acute appendicitis after an undigested citrus seed impacted his appendix.

Meanwhile, there are other seeds of fruits and vegetables that are inedible, poisonous or detrimental to overall health, especially if consumed in larger quantities. Here’s a list of the most common ones:

Apple Seeds

There is a high tendency among people to eat an apple with its seeds. Ingesting a limited number of apple seeds is not a concern. However, in larger quantities, apple seeds are absolutely forbidden. Fruits, including apples, cherries, peaches and plums, all have amygdalin, which converts to hydrogen cyanide when eaten.

The good thing is that, according to research, consumption of only relatively high amounts of cyanide is life-threatening. It is believed that one gramme of apple seeds hardly produces two to four milligrammes of hydrogen cyanide, which is negligible. It means that only the consumption of very large quantities of chewed apple seeds can be lethal. This may equate to a few hundred to thousands of apple seeds, or roughly about 20 apple cores, depending upon the apple variety, before any unwanted symptoms begin showing.

However, even in limited quantities, apple seeds can cause other health issues, including headaches, dizziness and blood pressure changes. Another aspect to note is that only crushed seeds are dangerous. Otherwise the seeds are likely to pass safely through the gastrointestinal tract without causing any issues.

Raw Kidney Beans

One of the most favoured cooked seeds in weight management, the protein-laden kidney beans can cause a multitude of severe gastric issues if consumed raw. Both red and white kidney beans contain comparatively larger quantities of phytohaemagglutinin — a lectin commonly found in legumes, albeit in limited quantities. Cooking beans properly eliminates lectin. However, even a few raw kidney beans can cause severe episodes of diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. The kidney beans are, however, not lethal or life-threatening.

Tomato Seeds

A favourite among kitchen gardeners, different varieties of tomatoes are easily grown throughout the year in Pakistan. The seeds of tomato contain oxalate, which tends to contribute to the formation of kidney stones in already prone individuals.

Lychee Seeds

Within the juicy, sweet white flesh of lychees lies a seed which is as poisonous as it can get. It has two toxins which can dangerously reduce glucose levels in blood and, subsequently, cause the loss of consciousness, convulsions and even coma in extreme cases. It is believed that eating unripe lychees can also produce the same unwanted outcomes.

Please send your queries and emails to doctree101@hotmail.com. The writer is a physician and a host for the YouTube channel ‘DocTree Gardening’ promoting organic kitchen gardening

Published in Dawn, EOS, November 10th, 2024