Over 200 People Are Killed by the “World’s Deadliest Food” Every Year — But Nearly 500 Million Still Eat It

Sweet cassava – Lower in toxins, safer to eat with basic cooking.
Bitter cassava – Contains high levels of cyanogenic glycosides, which release cyanide when consumed.
Fun fact: Tapioca pearls, garri, fufu, and cassava flour are all made from cassava.

Why Is Cassava Dangerous?
The danger lies in how it’s processed.

Bitter cassava naturally contains linamarin, a compound that converts into hydrogen cyanide when the plant cells are damaged (e.g., during peeling, grating, or chewing).

If not properly detoxified, eating bitter cassava can lead to:

Acute cyanide poisoning – Symptoms include nausea, dizziness, rapid breathing, convulsions, and death within hours.
Konzo – A paralyzing neurological disease affecting the legs, primarily seen in malnourished populations in Central Africa.
Tropical ataxic neuropathy – A chronic condition causing blindness, deafness, and loss of coordination.
In fact, cassava is responsible for more cases of food-related cyanide poisoning worldwide than any other food crop, according to the World Health Organization.

How Does Poisoning Happen?

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