Mushroom poison. The most poisonous mushroom in the world

• Toxicity of the mushrooms themselves, due to the presence of toxins (or mycotoxins)
• Long-term storage collected mushrooms without cooking them, or long-term storage of already cooked mushrooms
• Damage to mushrooms by pests, in particular mushroom flies
• Concomitant consumption of certain types of mushrooms (e.g. dung beetles - Coprinus) with alcohol
• Accumulation during fungal growth in fruiting bodies harmful to the body substances (heavy metals, etc.)
• Frequent consumption of mushrooms of the Morel family ( Morchellaceae)

Abuse of mushrooms, even of the first category, is harmful to the body, since mushrooms are difficult to digest food and with a large volume of semi-digested mass in the gastrointestinal tract, intoxication of the body can develop.

Precautions when collecting and using mushrooms

The most common poisoning occurs with mushrooms that have external resemblance with edibles and accidentally gather with them. To avoid such a mistake, which can be fatal, it is necessary to thoroughly study the general characteristics of mushrooms and know the characteristic differences of poisonous species.

You should only collect the types of mushrooms that you know. Unknown or questionable fruiting bodies should not be eaten. It should be remembered that characteristic features may be absent in some specimens, for example, white flakes on the cap of a fly agaric can be washed away by heavy rain, the cap of a toadstool, cut off at the very top, does not allow you to notice the ring.

Many mushrooms are much more dangerous for children than for adults, so the consumption of even “good” mushrooms by children should be limited.

Mushrooms can be as dangerous as batteries toxic substances(heavy metals, pesticides, radionuclides).

First aid measures

In case of severe mushroom poisoning, you should call a doctor.

Before the doctor arrives, the patient is put to bed, the stomach is washed: they give drinking plenty of fluids(4-5 glasses of boiled water at room temperature, drink in small sips) or a light pink solution of potassium permanganate and induce vomiting by pressing a finger or a smooth object on the root of the tongue. To remove poison from the intestines, immediately after gastric lavage, a laxative is given and an enema is performed.

To clarify the diagnosis, save all uneaten mushrooms.

Treatment for mushroom poisoning depends on the type. Poisoning with toadstool is accompanied by vomiting and dehydration; after gastric lavage, an exchange blood transfusion, hemodialysis, intravenous glucose and insulin are administered, and in case of respiratory failure, subcutaneous atropine.

Deadly poisonous mushrooms

Among mushrooms there are deadly poisonous species, that is, capable of causing fatal poisoning even with a small amount of mushrooms eaten. Deadly poisonous species are:

• Panther fly agaric ( Amanita pantherina)
• Death cap ( Amanita phalloides)
• Spring grebe ( Amanita verna)
• Amanita stinking ( Amanita virosa)
• Amanita ocreata
• Galerina bordered ( Galerina marginata)
• The whitish talker ( Clitocybe dealbata) (Сlitocybe candicans)
• Mountain gossamer ( Cortinarius orellanus)
• The most beautiful cobweb ( Cortinarius speciosissimus) (Cortinarius rubellus)
• Genus Lopastnik, or Helvella ( Helvella St. Am.) (* what kind of lobed one, among the lobed ones there are many edible species?)
• Entoloma poisonous ( Entoloma lividum)
• Entoloma crushed ( Entholoma rhodopolium)
• Patouillard fiberglass ( Inocybe patouillardii)
• Umbrella rough ( Lepiota aspera)
• Umbrella brown-red ( Lepiota brunnroincarnata)
• Chestnut umbrella ( Lepiota castanea)
• Umbrella thyroid ( Lepiota clypeolaria)
• Comb umbrella ( Lepiota cristata)
• Umbrella fleshy-reddish ( Lepiota helveola)
• Silverfish ( Lepiota ventriosospora)

The toxicity of certain types of fungi is currently not well understood, and data from sources is often contradictory. First of all, this applies to lines and false honey mushrooms, the toxicity of which depends on the area of ​​growth. However, the toxins they contain: in the lines - gyromitrin, and in false mushrooms ah - phalla- and amatoxins (toadstool toxins) - are deadly. Therefore, you should avoid eating them, even if in some sources these mushrooms (strokes and false brick-red honey fungus) are classified as edible or conditionally edible.

Mistaken “signs” of poisonous mushrooms

Folk signs that “allow one to identify poisonous mushrooms” are based on various misconceptions and do not allow one to judge the danger of mushrooms:

• Poisonous mushrooms have an unpleasant odor, while edible ones have a pleasant odor (the smell of toadstool is almost identical to the smell of champignons, although according to some, toadstool has no smell at all)
• "Worms" (insect larvae) are not found in poisonous mushrooms (misconception)
• All mushrooms in at a young age edible (pale grebe is deadly poisonous at any age)
• Silver objects in a decoction of a poisonous mushroom turn black (misconception)
• A head of onion or garlic turns brown when cooked with poisonous mushrooms (misconception)
• Poisonous mushrooms cause milk to sour (misconception)

Poisoning with some mushrooms

Phalloidin poisoning

Occurs when consuming certain amanita mushrooms, such as toadstool, stinking fly agaric, or spring toadstool. The following highly toxic substances were found in the pulp of these mushrooms:

• fallin
• several forms of amanitin

Fallin is neutralized by boiling, but other poisons are resistant to heat treatment and are not removed.

Phalloidin begins to cause profound changes in liver cells soon after ingestion, however, the first symptoms occur within 6 to 24 hours, sometimes after two days. Poisoning begins with severe abdominal pain, uncontrollable vomiting, severe sweating and diarrhea, and body temperature drops. In severe cases (and almost all such poisonings are severe!), kidney and heart failure begins, coma and death occur. Poisoning can last up to twenty days.

There are no reliable methods of treatment; even with timely medical care, up to 70% of such poisonings are fatal. Successful treatment can only be achieved if the diagnosis is quickly established (before the onset of symptoms); antiphalloid serums and thioctinic acid are used for treatment.

Orellanine poisoning or paraphalloid syndrome

Very severe poisoning, often fatal. Its symptoms are similar to those of phalloidin poisoning. Caused by the heat-resistant toxin orellanine, which is found in mushrooms such as the mountain spiderwort and some small lepiotes, such as the fleshy-reddish umbel.

Orellanine is especially insidious in that it has an unusually long latent period of action - the first signs of poisoning appear after several days or even weeks. This makes both diagnosis and timely treatment very difficult.

The first manifestation is the appearance of unquenchable thirst, then headaches, pain in the abdomen and kidneys, and a feeling of coldness in the extremities. Death may occur as a result of irreversible kidney damage.

The mushrooms that cause this poisoning usually do not attract the attention of mushroom pickers, so cases of poisoning are rare.

Poisoning by red and panther fly agarics

May be accompanied by different types of symptoms, since these mushrooms vary greatly in the content of several poisons. Most often, poisoning is caused by muscarine, muscaridine (mycoatropine) and bufotenine. In the case of a predominance of muscaridine and bufotenine, the main symptoms of poisoning are disorders of the nervous system, accompanied by delusions, hallucinations, hysteria and severe drowsiness. Muscarine causes gastrointestinal disorders with abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, increased sweating, drooling, anuria, and slow heartbeat. Symptoms usually appear within 1 to 2 hours, so timely medical assistance in the form of gastric lavage and symptomatic support for the nervous system and heart is possible.

Muscarine poisoning

There are mushrooms that contain only muscarine and no other poisons. These include some types of fibers and talkers (Clitocybe). Poisoning by these mushrooms manifests itself after 1 - 2 hours; muscarinic syndrome is characterized by increased salivation, sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, bradycardia, and slight constriction of the pupils. In severe cases, collapse, breathing problems, and pulmonary edema occur.

First aid is to remove the poison from gastrointestinal tract(gastric lavage, taking adsorbents). Atropine and other M-anticholinergic agents are used as an antidote. There may also be indications for the use of adrenergic agonists or glucocorticoids.

Morel mushroom poisoning

May be caused different types lines, consumption of improperly prepared dishes from morel mushrooms or their excessive consumption. The active principle is a number of substances called gyromitrins. These poisons can be partially (in morels) or completely (in individual specimens of the strings) heat-resistant, so the strings should not be eaten at all, and the morels must first be boiled, draining the water. Gyromitrins have a hemolytic effect, symptoms of poisoning are an increase in hemoglobin in the blood, jaundice, vomiting, diarrhea and severe drowsiness. In severe cases, convulsions occur, coma and death occur.

Hallucinogen poisoning

The most studied as hallucinogenic are mushrooms of the genus Psilocybe; they contain psilocin and psilocybin as active ingredients. There is also information about the hallucinogenic properties of some mushrooms from the genera Panaeolus) and Conocybe. The poisons of these mushrooms are classified as psychotomimetics or psychodysleptics - substances that cause mental disorders. Poisoning is accompanied rapid decline blood pressure, heavy sweating, dilated pupils, a feeling of intoxication and loss of strength sets in. Soon signs of severe psychosis with hallucinations appear, ideas about space and time are distorted, and there may be depressive states, sometimes leading to suicide.

Dung beetle poisoning

These mushrooms are eaten as conditionally edible, however, if you drink alcoholic beverages with them, you may experience dangerous poisoning. You can also get poisoned if you drink alcohol within 1 - 2 days after eating this mushroom.
Signs of poisoning: anxiety, redness of the face, slow pulse and pain in the intestines. Usually the syndrome lasts 2 - 3 days.

This effect is sometimes explained by the fact that dung beetles contain a toxic substance that is insoluble in water, but highly soluble in alcohol. According to other, more plausible data, the active principle ( coprine) inhibits the enzyme aldehyde oxidase, thereby delaying the metabolism of alcohol at the stage of formation of acetaldehyde, which has a toxic effect.

Gastrointestinal poisoning

Typical gastrointestinal symptoms can be caused by many mushrooms, which are usually considered mildly poisonous, and also conditionally edible if not used correctly. culinary processing. Such poisoning can also occur when eating old, overripe mushrooms, or those that have been stored for a long time in improper conditions.

Symptoms appear within a few hours in the form of abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and fever, in severe cases accompanied by convulsions and loss of consciousness. Poisoning usually goes away within a few days, but can cause serious complications, especially in children and the elderly.

The most famous poisonous mushrooms of intestinal action:

• Giant rosewort, or entoloma tin and other types of rosewort

Conditionally edible mushrooms:

• Many species of the genus Lactaceae
• Some russula

The danger of fungi that have accumulated toxicants from the external environment

Heavy metal accumulation

Accumulation of radionuclides

Mushrooms contaminated with cesium-137 and other radionuclides are also dangerous, primarily as a result of Chernobyl fallout, emissions and explosion at the Mayak nuclear plant, and emissions from nuclear power plants. In 2009, Rospotrebnadzor published data on mushrooms in the Leningrad region, the content of cesium-137 in which significantly exceeds the norm: up to 1390 Bq/kg (in the Kingisepp region) with the maximum permissible level of cesium-137 in fresh mushrooms 500 Bq/kg (according to Russian and Ukrainian legislation) and 370 Bq/kg (according to Belarusian legislation. Published studies show that near the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant the level of mushroom contamination is noticeably higher.

According to the degree of accumulation of cesium-137 (radiocesium), edible mushrooms are divided into four groups:

1. low-accumulating (safer): oyster mushroom, champignon, pearl puffball, variegated umbrella mushroom, honey mushroom;
2. medium-accumulating: boletus, boletus, gray row, common chanterelle, porcini mushroom;
3. highly accumulating: russula, milkweed, greenfinch;
4. radiocesium batteries (the most dangerous): boletus, moss mushrooms, svinushka, bitter mushroom, Polish mushroom.

Radiation more actively passes into mushrooms with developed mycelium. In mushroom caps, the concentration of radionuclides is 1.5-2 times higher than in the stems, this is especially typical for mushrooms with a well-developed stem ( White mushroom, boletus, boletus, Polish mushroom). Reducing the content of cesium-137 in mushrooms can be achieved by boiling them for 30-60 minutes in salt water with the addition of vinegar or citric acid, changing the broth 2-3 times.

Harmless honey mushrooms, “elite” white ones, dubious “cow lips” and definitely poisonous fly agarics. But is the edibility of mushrooms always obvious? Let's see which mushrooms are the most poisonous.

The most poisonous mushrooms in Russia

IN Russian forests large variety of mushrooms. Mushroom pickers, as a rule, know most edible mushrooms, but of the poisonous ones they know only two species - fly agaric and toadstool.

Fly agaric is the most famous poisonous mushroom in Russian forests. The Red Fly Agaric has been familiar to everyone since childhood, but he has many brothers who are much more dangerous than himself. Poisonous subspecies include the armored fly agaric, the stinking fly agaric and the pale toadstool. The red fly agaric is poisonous, but fatal cases of poisoning are rare. It contains the poison muscarine in small quantities.

Timely request for medical care leads to recovery. Tincture of red fly agaric is even used in medicinal purposes. And if you believe the Scandinavian legends, the soldiers were given a small piece of fly agaric before the battle. Those who ate this “vitamin” became insensitive to pain. This is because fly agaric contains an alkaloid - bufotetin, which is a strong psychotropic and hallucinogenic substance. The red fly agaric is ubiquitous. Its ripening period is from late June to late autumn. Its bright colors warn of danger and protect the mushroom from attacks.

The stinking fly agaric is closest to the pale grebe in terms of toxin content and toxic substances. But these mushrooms are poisoned very rarely. The unpleasant smell of rotten potatoes does not make you want to try them. It grows from June to October in mixed and coniferous forests. Death cap most dangerous mushroom among those growing in Russian forests. A quarter of a cap is enough to poison an adult. At the same time, people who survived the poisoning claim that the mushroom is very tasty. Pale grebe contains amanitotoxin, a terrible poison that is not destroyed by heat treatment. Poisoning with this mushroom is dangerous, primarily because symptoms do not appear immediately, but a day or even three days after consuming the mushroom. The chances of survival depend on how healthy the person is and how much toadstool he ate. The first symptoms of poisoning are headache, nausea, weakness. Then severe vomiting and diarrhea appear, the pulse becomes thread-like, and the liver often enlarges. The cause of death is toxic hepatitis or acute heart failure.

Pale toadstool can easily be confused with russula, greenfinches, and champignons. The main distinguishing feature of toadstools is a tuberous thickening at the bottom of the stem, the so-called calyx-volva, from where the mushroom grows. A white ring is clearly visible on the leg.

What other signs can be used to distinguish a poisonous mushroom from an edible one?

To prevent mushroom hunting from ending in disaster, you need to collect only good famous mushrooms, unfamiliar or mushrooms that are in doubt, it is better not to touch. Unfortunately, there are no recommendations that will help with 100% certainty to distinguish edible from poisonous mushrooms.

The main sign of a poisonous mushroom is that it contains lethal hazardous substances, and not external “dissimilarity” to “ good mushrooms" Often, characteristic signs of poisonous mushrooms are completely absent; flakes on the fly agaric cap, for example, can be washed away by rain.

There are many misconceptions that supposedly make it possible to distinguish a poisonous mushroom from an edible one. Here are the most common ones.

Poisonous mushrooms have a bitter taste and unpleasant odor. But the same pale toadstool has practically no smell, and some claim that its smell is similar to the smell of champignon.

The belief that worms and snails do not eat poisonous mushrooms is also incorrect. They gnaw them no less than edible mushrooms. The opinion that a silver spoon will turn black in a decoction of poisonous mushrooms is also incorrect. The spoon darkens when it comes into contact with sulfur, which is contained in mushrooms, regardless of their toxicity.

Onions and garlic turn blue when you touch the mushroom due to the presence of the tyrosinase enzyme in it, and not toxic substances. So which mushrooms can you safely put in the basket, which ones should you avoid, and what are conditionally edible mushrooms?

Conditionally edible and poisonous mushrooms

Edible mushrooms are white mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, etc., well known to experienced mushroom pickers. They do not contain toxins, have no bitterness or unpleasant odor. Immediately after collection, they can be boiled or fried and eaten.

The group is also distinguished inedible mushrooms. They do not contain harmful substances, but have a bitter taste and unpleasant odor. Eating them does not cause poisoning, but may cause mild stomach upset. Inedible mushrooms include, for example, mustard or gall mushroom, false chanterelles, emetic russula, etc.

Poisonous mushrooms include mushrooms that contain toxins that cause poisoning. Such mushrooms retain their qualities after any type of processing: boiling, soaking, salting, drying, etc. About 25 types of mushrooms are considered the most dangerous. Among them are the stinking fly agaric and panther fly agaric, the pale toadstool, Patouillard's fiber, some types of umbrellas and talkers. Of course, you need to know these mushrooms by sight in order to avoid dangerous mistakes when collecting.

What mushroom is the most poisonous in the world?

Some sources call the bloody tooth mushroom the most poisonous mushroom on the planet. They say that even breathing near it is dangerous, and to go to another world, it is enough to touch it with your tongue. There is no evidence of this yet; according to other sources, it may even be useful to humanity, because it contains blood thinning substances and has an antibacterial effect.

Rumors about its super toxicity are largely due to its unusual appearance. Another name for this mushroom is strawberries and cream. And indeed, at first glance, it is very similar to this dessert, and even the aroma resembles a tasty delicacy. The surface of the mushroom is velvety, white, strewn with scarlet drops. These drops are secreted by the fungus itself - in this way it attracts the insects on which it feeds. With age, the mushroom loses its beauty and becomes inconspicuous Brown. Also, with age, sharp outgrowths appear along the edges of the cap, in which spores ripen. Hence the word “tooth” in the name.

Until recently, this mushroom was found in the forests of North America, Australia and Europe. But the facts of its growth in Russian forests, for example in the Komi Republic, are already known.

Mushroom picking is an interesting and exciting activity, but it must be approached with all seriousness in order to avoid sad consequences.

By the way, mushrooms, due to their huge myceliums, are among the most big creatures in the world. According to the site, even the largest tree in the world, the sequoia, is inferior in size to them.
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Mushrooms are the most unknown part of the flora of our planet. However, some scientists can immediately correct me: flora is plants, and mushrooms do not even belong to this category. They form their own, separate one, which is called “mushrooms”. Among mycological scientists there is even an opinion about the extraterrestrial origin of mushrooms, allegedly their spores were brought to earth with fallen meteorites.

Whether this is true or not is still unknown, but practice clearly proves one thing: mushrooms never cease to present surprises, each time revealing some of their new properties. For example, the division into poisonous and edible. From known to science types of mushrooms (and mycologists say there are still many unknown on Earth) today even someone who has only read about mushrooms in literature can easily name the most desirable ones on the table. These include boletus, boletus, chanterelles, boletus, aspen, champignons, honey mushrooms, milk mushrooms and, of course, pigs.

Gourmets will prefer thin pork even to the king of mushrooms - white. In its raw form, the pig is poisonous. But after prolonged heat treatment, the poison completely disintegrates. When someone experienced severe poisoning after eating thin pork, sometimes even with a fatal outcome, everyone was sure that it was due to a lack of heat treatment, which did not completely destroy the toxic compounds.

Recent studies by Russian scientists have shown that poisoning occurs for a different reason. Unknown substances that form antibodies have recently been discovered in this mushroom.

In the scientific world, substances that form antibodies are called antigens. Antibodies and antigens, entering the human body, form compounds that our the immune system immediately recognizes and neutralizes it. But the guinea pig antigens form compounds that, when they enter our body, begin to include red blood cells and destroy them. In this case, the entire system, which includes blood cells, remains intact. Harmful compounds simply accumulate in it and, having reached a certain concentration, go on the attack.

Hemoglobin begins to break down and, as a result, jaundice, anemia and even death. In Germany, the thin mushroom is officially included in the list of poisonous mushrooms and is prohibited for consumption.

Common scaly mushroom, morel, oak mushroom, club-legged govorushka, rough lepiota, inky dung beetle - gourmets will tell you dozens of recipes for these mushrooms that make them amazingly tasty. But there is one caveat - they are absolutely not compatible with alcohol. One hundred grams of mushrooms in this case means the occurrence of coprine syndrome - this is when the combination of alcohol and mushrooms causes poisoning. The most interesting thing is that coprine itself has not been found in some of these mushrooms, and scientists still cannot establish what exactly biochemical processes lead to poisoning.

In Estonia, there is even a campaign “September - without alcohol!” in the fall. Mare Oder, a specialist at the Estonian poisoning information center, believes that the action is very timely, as there are many cases of poisoning from the combination of alcohol and mushrooms. According to Mare Oder, alcohol and mushrooms are in principle incompatible.

When spring comes into its own, the most impatient mushroom pickers are ready to begin collecting their favorite delicacy in May. But Rospotrebnadzor specialists are categorically against such an early collection - among spring edible mushrooms there are a lot of unformed ones, during this period they still contain poison, which autumn mushrooms there is no longer a trace left. Spring morels and strings are considered the most poisonous during this period; the concentration of toxic substances in them is maximum.

Dry summers are considered especially dangerous for mushroom picking. Dry hot weather disappear in poisonous mushrooms features. For example, the skirt under the hat has shrunk - and the mushroom is practically no different from its edible double. Even experienced mushroom pickers are not always able to recognize a “substitution” during such a period. The best “camouflage” is the toadstool - the record holder for the content of the most dangerous amanitotoxins, those substances with which poisonous mushrooms poison us. Senior Lecturer at Volgograd State University Agrarian University Olga Polyakova classifies pig mushrooms and milk mushrooms that grew in dry weather as conditionally edible. During this period, they are able to accumulate substances that are toxic to humans.

The place where dangerous edible mushrooms are most concentrated is the market of any settlement. In Volgograd, an entire family ended up in intensive care after eating mushrooms bought at home. There they were unable to save an eight-year-old girl who also ate mushrooms purchased from her hands.

In 2015, only continuous inspections by Rospotrebnadzor specialists of markets and unauthorized trading places saved the lives of many Volgograd residents. Even in the most favorable summer, mushrooms collected in industrial zones or along highways end up on the market. And today it’s no secret to anyone that mushrooms, like a sponge, absorb everything that is around them, including dust from passing cars and their exhaust gases, as well as emissions from industrial enterprises. Mushrooms collected in such places are a priori poisonous.

The best mushrooms collected in the forest at the right time can become poisonous if you collected them not in classic wicker baskets, but in plastic buckets. Without access to air, the protein in mushrooms begins to decompose and turns into toxic compounds. Thus, you yourself turn an edible mushroom into a poisonous one.

And one more piece of advice from doctors: children under 14 and older people should not eat mushrooms. The body of both is still or no longer able to fully digest such heavy food.

2017-07-12 Igor Novitsky

Those who studied well at school remember that mushrooms are a separate group of living organisms that do not belong to either plants or animals. Although there are many varieties of mushrooms, ordinary person The term "mushrooms" refers almost exclusively to wild mushrooms. Among them there are many edible species that form an important part of the Russian culinary tradition.

Nutritional value of edible mushrooms

Mushrooms are neither plants nor animals, and therefore their taste has nothing to do with plant foods, nor with meat. Edible mushrooms have their own unique taste, which is called “mushroom”. By nutritional value they are more closely related to meat than to plants. Mushrooms are rich in protein, carbohydrates and various microelements. They also contain special enzymes that promote digestion and better absorption of nutrients.

If we do not take into account the general taxonomic classification of all mushrooms in general, then there is no single world classification of edible mushrooms. This is due not only to differences in culinary traditions among different nations, but also with climatic features individual countries influencing the species composition of mushrooms in a particular region. In addition, the names of edible mushrooms usually combine several individual species with different external characteristics, which also complicates the classification.

In Russia, they mainly use the Soviet scale of nutritional value for edible mushrooms, according to which all types are divided into four categories:

1. The first category includes types of edible mushrooms that have maximum value and a rich, rich taste. For example, boletus, yellow milk mushroom, a real redhead.
2. The second category includes slightly less delicious mushrooms with significantly less nutritional value - boletus, boletus, champignons.
3. The third category includes edible mushrooms of Russia with mediocre taste and mediocre nutritional value - green flywheel, russula, honey fungus.
4. The fourth category is mushrooms with minimal nutritional value and questionable taste qualities. These are, for example, variegated moss mushroom, puffball, oyster mushroom.

• Edible mushrooms. They do not require mandatory temperature treatment and are theoretically suitable for consumption even in raw form without any risk.
• Conditionally edible mushrooms. This category includes mushrooms that are not suitable for consumption raw due to toxins or unpleasant taste, but are edible after special processing (boiling, soaking, drying, etc.) This also includes mushrooms that are edible only at a young age, or that can cause poisoning in combination with other products (for example, dung mushroom should not be consumed with alcohol).
• Inedible mushrooms. They are completely safe for the human body, but due to poor taste, hard pulp or other reasons, they are not of culinary interest. Often in other countries they are described as edible mushrooms or conditionally edible.
• Poisonous mushrooms. This group includes those types of mushrooms from which it is impossible to remove toxins at home, and therefore their consumption as food is extremely dangerous.

For Russians, mushrooms are not only tasty dish, always relevant as on festive table, and on weekdays. Mushroom hunting is also a favorite leisure activity for many people. fresh air. Unfortunately, most city dwellers and even many villagers have forgotten the centuries-old experience of their ancestors and are completely unable to determine which mushrooms are edible and which are not. This is why every year dozens and even hundreds of inexperienced mushroom pickers throughout Russia die from poisoning by poisonous mushrooms, mistaking them for edible ones.

It’s worth noting right away that there are no single universal rules on how to distinguish edible mushrooms from their poisonous doubles. Each type of mushroom has its own patterns, which often do not apply to other species. For this reason, you should adhere to the general rules of conduct recommended by experts.

So, if, looking at a fly agaric, you are not entirely sure whether the mushroom in front of you is edible, then before you go on a “quiet hunt”, listen to the following recommendations:

• If possible, take an experienced mushroom picker with you to supervise the mushroom picking process. Alternatively, the “trophies” can be shown to him for control after returning from the forest.
• Study as thoroughly as possible one or two (no more!) types of the most common edible mushrooms in your region. Moreover, it is advisable to find out what edible mushrooms look like by seeing them in person, and not on a monitor screen. Memorize well their differences from all possible doubles. When you go to the forest, collect only these mushrooms that you are familiar with and no others.
• Do not take mushrooms that cause you the slightest doubt about their species.
• Having discovered a “family” of mushrooms, take a closer look at the largest specimens. Firstly, it is easier to determine the species from them, and secondly, if they are wormy, then the mushrooms are edible. There are no worms in deadly poisonous mushrooms. True, they can easily end up in falsely edible mushrooms with an average level of toxicity.
• Until you gain experience, collect only tubular mushrooms - porcini mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, boletus mushrooms. There are very few poisonous mushrooms in this group, which cannot be said about the lamellar varieties of edible mushrooms.
• Never taste raw mushrooms. He won't tell you anything, but if you come across a poisonous mushroom, you can easily get poisoned.

The most common mushrooms are edible and inedible

The porcini mushroom, or boletus mushroom, is the best representative of the group of undoubtedly edible mushrooms of the first nutritional category. Although it has a fairly characteristic appearance by which it is easily recognized, the boletus has an inedible twin - the gall mushroom or mustard. Edible porcini mushrooms can be identified by their thick cylindrical stem and reddish-brown cap. The flesh of the boletus always remains white, while the gall mushroom is distinguished by the fact that when broken, its flesh acquires a pink tint, and the mushroom itself is very bitter.

Red boletuses are also very popular edible among Russians Forest mushrooms. They have a dense brown-red cap. They can be easily distinguished from other mushrooms by their pulp, which quickly turns blue at the cut site. Despite the name, they can grow not only next to aspens, but also with other deciduous trees(never near conifers). But for safety, it is better to collect such mushrooms only under aspen and poplar trees. However, it is quite difficult to confuse boletus with other mushrooms, since false doubles he does not have.

Maslyata are very loved and popular in Russia. They can be recognized by yellow color legs, and the cap is covered with a sticky brown skin that can be easily removed with a knife. Under the cap is a characteristic tubular structure. As a rule, when they talk about edible tubular mushrooms, they mean butter mushrooms. Adult mushrooms are almost always rich in worms, which is also a good sign.

Chanterelles have a rather unusual appearance, which makes them easy to identify among other edible mushrooms in the forest. However, they have a very similar double, which you identify by a more saturated orange hue (the edible mushroom is lighter), a hollow stalk (the real one is dense and solid) and white discharge on the cap.

Honey mushrooms are edible mushrooms known for their characteristic rich taste. Since in fact, several types of mushrooms are called honey mushrooms at once, it is sometimes difficult to give them a single description. For safety, it is recommended to collect only those honey mushrooms that grow exclusively in the roots, on stumps and on fallen trunks. They have ocher-colored caps with scales on them and a white ring on the stem. False honey mushrooms are also several types of mushrooms. Honey mushrooms should be avoided if they grow on the ground; their cap is yellow or brownish-red and lacks scales. While the cap of real honey mushrooms is equipped with whitish plates, those of false honey mushrooms are olive, dark gray or brownish. Also, there is no ring on the leg of the honey fungus.

Russulas are widespread edible mushrooms middle zone. This name is used for several species at once, the differences from their inedible relatives lie in the presence of easily removable skin on the caps.

We have already noted earlier that, for safety, a novice mushroom picker should limit himself to a detailed study of one or two edible mushrooms, for which he goes into the forest. But information about edible mushrooms is not all you need to know. You should also read the description of the main most common poisonous mushrooms, which you will probably encounter during a “quiet hunt”.

Of the one and a half hundred poisonous mushrooms found in Russia, only a few species are deadly poisonous. The rest cause either food poisoning or lead to nervous system disorders. But since this can hardly be considered a mitigating circumstance, every mushroom picker should know how to distinguish edible mushrooms from inedible ones. And this is impossible without a good knowledge of the poisonous mushrooms themselves.

Statistics show that most often Russians are poisoned by toadstool. This is one of the most poisonous and at the same time most widespread mushrooms in the country. Inexperienced mushroom pickers mistake it for champignons, russula and other edibles lamellar mushrooms. The toadstool can be recognized by the yellow-brown, dirty green, light olive and often snow-white (young mushrooms) color of the caps. Usually the center of the cap is a little darker and lighter at the edge. On the underside of the cap there are white soft plates. There is a ring on the leg.

False honey fungus can be found on the roots and stumps of trees, which is why beginners confuse it with real honey fungus and other edible mushrooms on trees. The mushroom causes food poisoning and is therefore not as dangerous as toadstool. It can be distinguished from real honey mushrooms by its color (not brown, but light orange or yellowish) and the absence of a ring on the stem (real honey mushrooms have it right under the cap).

Amanitas in our minds are synonymous with poisonous mushrooms. At the same time, an ordinary city dweller imagines a typical picture - a large fleshy mushroom with a bright red cap with white speckles and a white stem. In fact, only one of more than 600 species of fly agarics looks like this. By the way, the pale grebe formally also refers to fly agarics. So, in addition to the well-known red fly agaric and toadstool, you should also be wary of the green fly agaric, stinking fly agaric, panther fly agaric and white fly agaric. Externally, some of them are very similar to edible mushrooms in September. The probability of meeting them in the forest is quite high.

The satanic mushroom is found mainly in the south and Primorye. It is toxic, although it rarely causes death. The mushroom is quite large, has irregular shape a hat and a massive leg. The leg can have different shades of red. The color of the cap also varies: mushrooms with a white, dirty gray or olive cap are most often found. Sometimes it can be very similar to some edible mushrooms of the Primorsky Territory, in particular the boletus mushroom.

Thin mushroom is a harmful, although not deadly, mushroom. For a long time, experts did not have a consensus on whether the pig mushroom is edible or not. Only about 30 years ago it was finally removed from the list of edibles, as it was proven that it destroys the kidneys and causes food poisoning. It can be recognized by its fleshy, flattened cap with a curved edge. Young individuals have an olive-colored cap, while older individuals are gray-brown or rusty-brown. The stem is olive or gray-yellow and slightly lighter than the cap, or similar in color.

Before you put a mushroom in your mouth, you must be sure that what you are eating is edible, since there are a small number of species in the world that are poisonous. Most of them will only cause stomach upset, but there are also those that, if they enter the body, will cause significant harm and can even cause death. Below is a list with photos of the ten most poisonous and deadly species of mushrooms for humans.

Olive omphalot is a poisonous mushroom that grows in wooded areas on rotten stumps and rotten trunks of deciduous trees in Europe, mainly in the Crimea. Notable for its bioluminescent properties. Appearance resembles a chanterelle, however, unlike it, the olive omphalot has an unpleasant odor and contains the toxin illudin S, which, when entering the human body, leads to very severe pain, attacks of vomiting and diarrhea.

Russula stinging is widespread in the northern hemisphere in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests. When properly processed, this mushroom is conditionally edible, but the taste is bitter, with a pronounced pungency. It is poisonous in its raw form and contains the poison muscarine. The use is not even large quantity raw mushroom leads to disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

The panther fly agaric grows in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests in the temperate climate of the Northern Hemisphere. The mushroom is highly poisonous and contains poisons such as muscarine and mycoatropine that act on the central nervous system, as well as a number of toxic alkaloids that cause gastrointestinal disorders, hallucinations and can lead to death.

On the seventh line in the list of the most dangerous and poisonous mushrooms in the world is Foliotina rugosa - a poisonous mushroom that grows in Europe, Asia and North America. Contains a powerful poison called amatoxins, which is very toxic to the liver and is responsible for many deaths. Sometimes these mushrooms are confused with Psilocybe blue.

Greenfinch grows in small groups in dry coniferous forests on sandy soils in North America and Europe. Until recently, it was considered a good edible mushroom, but after the publication in 2001 of a report of poisoning due to the consumption of large numbers of greenfinches (12 cases, 3 of them fatal), it is suspected of being poisonous. Symptoms of poisoning include muscle weakness, pain, cramps, nausea and sweating.

Sulphur-yellow false honey fungus is a very poisonous mushroom found on all continents except Africa and Antarctica. They grow on old deciduous stumps and coniferous trees in August-November. When eaten, the mushroom causes severe, sometimes fatal poisoning. Symptoms appear within a few hours and are accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, sweating, diarrhea and bloating, sometimes blurred vision and even paralysis.

Svinushka thin - a poisonous mushroom, common in damp deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests, gardens, shelterbelts of the Northern Hemisphere in areas with temperate climate. Mushroom for a long time was considered conditionally edible, but now its toxicity has been proven. Long-term consumption of thin pig as food leads to severe poisoning, especially in people with diseased kidneys. Potentially fatal complications include acute renal failure, shock, respiratory failure, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Amanita ocreata, also known as the "angel of death" is a deadly poisonous mushroom from the Amanita family. Distributed in mixed forests mainly in the northeastern part of North America from Washington to Baja California. Contains alpha-amanitin and other amatoxins, which cause the death of liver cells and other organs, as well as disruption of protein synthesis. Complications of poisoning include increased intracranial pressure, intracranial hemorrhage, sepsis, pancreatitis, acute renal failure and cardiac arrest. Death usually occurs 6–16 days after poisoning.

The toadstool is the most poisonous mushroom in the world. It is the cause of most fatal poisonings that occur after eating mushrooms. It grows in almost all types of forests in Europe, Asia, North America and North Africa. Loves dark, damp places. Contains two types of toxins, amanitin and phalloidin, which cause liver and kidney failure, and often the only way to avoid death is their transplantation. It is estimated that even half a toadstool contains enough toxin to kill an adult human. In addition, the toxicity of the mushroom is not reduced by cooking, freezing or drying it. Sometimes they are mistakenly collected instead of champignons and green russula.

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