What to do if you are allergic to washing ginkgo

Ginkgo is a traditional Chinese medicine, and it also has a good therapeutic effect.

Is ginkgo poisonous?

Ginkgo is a traditional Chinese medicinal material that is rich in starch, sugar and protein. It is nutritious and has the effects of relieving asthma and reducing phlegm, astringing the lungs, and reducing urination. Ginkgo can be used as medicine, and when combined with ephedra, it has a certain effect in treating asthma. Add a few ginkgo nuts when serving meals, cooking porridge or making soup, and eat them three to five times. This can moisten the lungs, relieve asthma and reduce phlegm. The flavonoid active substances contained in ginkgo have the function of scavenging free radicals and have long been used to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

However, the kernel of ginkgo also contains toxic ingredients such as ginkgolic acid and amygdalin. Among them, amygdalin will decompose into hydrocyanic acid when it comes into contact with water. After being absorbed into the body, it can combine with various cytochromes in human cells, causing them to lose the function of transporting oxygen in red blood cells to cells, thereby causing cell suffocation.

1. The seed coat contains an allergen substance known as "ginkgo toxin" in academia, which can easily cause allergic reactions in organisms (the specific mechanism is not fully understood). Those who touch it may experience local redness, swelling, peeling, and even anaphylactic shock.

2. A high content of neutral fat-soluble substance can be extracted from the germ, which has neurotoxic effects. In mild cases, it can cause peripheral nerve allergy and paralysis, and in severe cases, it can be fatal. This type of fat-soluble neurotoxin can also be stored in the kernels (i.e. ginkgo nuts), but the higher the maturity, the higher the content; "young" ginkgo nuts have lower protein content and are less toxic than mature kernels.

3. The duration of ginkgo poisoning can be as short as 1 hour or as long as 12 hours after eating. The early or late onset of the disease is closely related to the amount of food eaten, age and physical strength. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, convulsions, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, patients may die from respiratory failure. A small number of people may experience sensory impairment and lower limb paralysis.

If it is not for therapeutic purposes, it is best not to eat ginkgo raw. The medical community currently believes that if children eat 7 to 15 raw seeds, they may be poisoned.