Top 5 Deadly Poison Facts
If you've seen Breaking Bad, or maybe some botox before and after horror story photos, then you've already heard some of the weird and unexpected facts about lethal poison. Just how deadly are poison dart frogs? Or fugu? Can common garden plants like oleander really kill you? Find out on this episode of WatchMojo's Top 5 Facts!
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Top 5 Deadly Poison Facts
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It’s in your cosmetic products. It’s in the food you eat, the water you drink and the air you breathe. It’s probably in your body already... and it’s a real killer. Welcome to WatchMojo’s Top 5 Facts. In today’s instalment, we’re counting down the top 5 deadly poison facts to make you fear for your life.
#5: Poison Dart Frogs are Small but Lethal
The world’s full of venomous creatures, but poisonous animals are pretty rare. The difference? Venom is kept in a special gland and transmitted via a bite or sting, whereas poison is inherent to a creature’s body, affecting anything unlucky enough to eat them, or in the case of the arrow frogs, simply touch them. Hailing from South America, these small frogs subsist on a diet of local insects, which allows them to build up extreme concentrations of deadly batrachotoxin. In captivity, this toxicity quickly dissipates, but in the wild, they carry enough poison to kill as many as 10 grown men, which is why indigenous communities historically dipped their blow darts and arrows in this nasty frog juice.
#4: Chefs Needs a License to Serve Fugu
That sous-chef who prepared Homer’s questionable fugu might’ve led viewers to believe that anyone with a knife can serve puffer fish if they’re willing. But getting licensed to prepare and serve this deadly delicacy is long, arduous, and... potentially fatal. Chefs have to complete a three-year intensive program, and even then, only about 35% pass. Why so strict? Because one slip of the knife can release the highly potent tetrodotoxin carried by the puffer fish, a lethal poison without an antidote. As the final part of the exam, a chef must prepare a serving of the dish, and then eat it themselves, proving that they have enough faith in their technique to put their own life on the line. You know what, I'll stick with Captain Highliner...
#3: Botox Is an Extremely Powerful Neurotoxin
Is it that deadly poison in your face making you smile like that... or are you just happy to see us? Botox! It’s the most recognized name in cosmetic surgery, and has been helping people fight the effects of aging since the early 2000s. Botulinum toxin Type-A, the variety used in cosmetics, is just one of the eight known strains of botulinum, a terrifyingly potent neurotoxin with a surprising number of medical applications considering its lethal potential. In 2013, scientists discovered a new strain of botulinum- type H, which was deemed the most concentrated deadly toxin in the world with even 13-billionths of a gram proving fatal.
#2: A Lot of Common Ornamental Plants Could Kill You
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At the Alnwick Castle in England, the Duchess of Northumberland has a literal poison garden, where visitors can learn about her wide assortment of toxic plants and their sinister histories. But a garden doesn’t need to be dedicated to poison to be deadly. Oleander is one of the most popular ornamental plants in the southern states, but ingesting any part of the plant can prove fatal. As seen on “Breaking Bad,” ricin can be harvested from castor plants, another common ornamental. A dozen castor beans concealed in your chilli could kill you if processed, and inhaling as little as 2 milligrams of it is lethal. Foxglove, easter lilies, larkspur– all common plants with serious toxicity. Maybe don’t stop to smell your neighbor’s flowers.
#1: Mithridatism Is the Self- Administering of Poison to Develop Immunities
So... knowing just how deadly this world can be, what’s a person to do in order to keep themselves safe? There’s only one real option– start consuming low levels of poison, “secret agent style,” and build up a tolerance. JOKING. Do not do that. For those of you still with us, mithridatism, the technique of self-administering poison in order to develop resistance to the toxins, is very much a real thing. But, it’s also very dangerous, and only works with certain poisonous substances, such as arsenic, venoms or non-lethal irritants, such as poison ivy. Named after the Greek King Mithridates, who, fearing poisoning at the hand of his mother or siblings, employed the technique, mithridatism can also be used to conquer common allergens, like peanuts–with medical supervision, of course. What’s your favorite example of mithridatism from television or film? Can you think of examples in pop culture in which the poisons we discussed today worked as particularly potent plot devices? For more ornamental top 10s and “delectable but deadly” Top 5s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
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