Top Five Most Deadly Foods

Eating is an activity that rarely raises red flags for most people. With nutrition and health information often at the forefront of media information about food in recent years, the health hazards associated with eating often seem long-term and cumulative. For the small percentage of Americans who have experienced food dangers or have a friend or relative who has died from eating, food represents a more potent, immediate threat.

Food Allergies

An estimated 3 million Americans have food allergies, and more than 200 die from food-allergy-related health complications each year, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Deadly food allergies cause a reaction called anaphylaxis, a potentially lethal bodily shock condition characterized by swelling of the tongue and throat, a severe blood pressure drop, trouble breathing, nausea, vomiting and/or abdominal pain. Common food allergens include peanuts, milk, eggs, shellfish, soy and wheat. Eating at home is typically safe because the foods you eat are generally within your control. Restaurants provide a different set of concerns. According to a 2011 study by researchers from Brighton and Sussex Medical School, restaurant workers are 81 percent confident they understand safety regarding serving food-allergy sufferers, but 23 percent think consuming a small quantity of a food allergen is safe, and 16 percent believe cooking deactivates food allergens.

Extreme Foods

Extreme foods are a category of food types characterized by extreme levels of fattening and unhealthy nutrients. The popularity of these foods has been showcased in recent years on TV shows that promote daredevil food consumption of foods, such as giant hamburgers, pizza, deep-fried Twinkies, corn dogs in a french fry casing and the bacone, a cone made with bacon filled with eggs and topped with a biscuit. "You might as well call the ambulance," said Dr. David Katz, director of medical studies at Yale University, about the bacone. "Order this and call 911 and have the ambulance on the way." Each of these foods alone provides the calories, saturated fat and cholesterol you need over several days or as long as a week and should be avoided. Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, and consuming extreme foods contributes to the risk.

Poisonous Foods

About 150 people in the U.S. die each year from eating poisonous mushrooms in the woods, according to UCLA. This is not surprising considering that only 95 percent of the mushrooms in the world have been identified, according to biologist Anne Pringle, professor at Harvard University. Other poisonous plants and parts of plants people should avoid eating include apple seeds and raw lima beans, which contain cyanide compounds; potatoes with green coloring on the skin, caused by a poison called solanine, a consequence of light exposure; and rhubarb leaves that contain potentially fatal oxalic acid.

Choking Hazards

An estimated 1,900 Americans die from choking each year in the home, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the primary cause is the consumption of meat. Children inexperienced with eating are also effected. Food is one of the primary choking hazards among children, according to the National Safety Council. Cutting meat into bite-size pieces and serving children small, pliable pieces of food is important for avoiding choking-related deaths.

Contaminated Foods

Avoiding food-related illnesses involves knowing the appropriate information for storage and handling of foods. Food-borne pathogens, including Salmonella and E. coli, cause as many as 9,000 U.S. deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Salmonella is a bacterium that birds, reptiles and mammals carry that causes fever, diarrhea and in severe cases, life-threatening infections. E. coli is a bacterial microbe in beef that causes cramps and diarrhea. In 3 to 5 percent of cases, severe kidney failure weeks after the initial onset of symptoms causes death. Review food safety information on the Food and Drug Administration website to learn more about appropriate cooking, washing and refrigeration of foods to avoid pathogens that cause food-borne illnesses.