The festive foliage on the ‘naughty list’ this Christmas
A team of British researchers have put together a guide of the potential dangers associated with popular Christmas plants.
The “unsystematic review”, published in the Christmas issue of The BMJ, saw the team immerse themselves in Christmas culture and conduct informal interviews with friends and colleagues to identify plants associated with the festive season, which they then examined against a database of toxic plants.
After conducting additional investigations, the team classified plants as low, moderate, or high risk, depending on whether they could be eaten.
Low risk
Luckily for traditionalists, the iconic Christmas tree is considered safe to be around. The only hazards have been from a few cases of contact dermatitis from workers who had unusually high exposure to the plant.
Ivy is also quite safe, with no recorded cases of people being poisoned by them, and winter plants such as poinsettia and Christmas cactus make the list too.
Even the plants featured on the Christmas dinner table have been investigated, with potatoes found to be safe as well.
Brussels sprouts, sadly, are also safe to eat.
“Looks like you’ll have to endure them after all,” the authors said.
Image: The British Medical Journal. DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2021-066995
Moderate risk
As for plants that require a bit more caution, the authors identified holly - with its berries that can cause stomach upset and drowsiness if eaten in large amounts - as well as rosemary - with reports that a twig perforated a person’s bowel.
The authors sounded a note of caution for cinnamon and nutmeg, often found in mulled wine, and discouraged people from taking up the cinnamon challenge (a viral challenge to eat a spoonful of ground cinnamon in under a minute without drinking anything). Nutmeg was noted for causing hallucinations in “remarkably low doses” (less than a tablespoon).
High risk
Surprisingly, both Christmas wreaths and mistletoe made the team’s high-risk list, meaning that caution around them is advised and they shouldn’t be eaten.
Mistletoe contains poisonous proteins called viscoproteins, which can lead to the destruction of cells, and eating it can cause gastrointestinal upset.
As for Christmas wreaths, those made with bittersweet (a member of the Nightshade family) and yew can cause abdominal cramps or cardiac dysrhythmia if eaten.
In summary, the team recommends taking sensible precautions while handling or consuming plants, both at Christmas time and throughout the year.
“We hope that this piece has given you the information necessary to navigate holiday foliage more safely,” they conclude.
Image: Getty Images