"sarah" > wrote in message
...
> graham > wrote:
>
>> "sarah" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > Doctor J. Frink > wrote:
>> >
>> >> On Mon, 19 Dec 2005 09:35:53 +0000, sarah >
>> >> wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >Speaking (as it were) of parsnips, does anyone else find that one or
>> >> >two
>> >> >of them seem to leave the mouth/tongue/lips slightly numb? I know
>> >> >it's
>> >> >in the same family as some rather nasty plants; I just wondered if
>> >> >some
>> >> >roots contain a higher concentration of something. Or perhaps it's my
>> >> >first food allergy!
>> >>
>> >> I can't say I've experienced any numbness but parsnips do contain
>> >> toxins
>> >> (as lots of veg does), which can cause skin irritation when exposed to
>> >> sunlight and possibly upset stomach.
>> >>
>> >> They tend to be in the damaged areas so if you peel the parsnip well
>> >> and
>> >> thoroughly cut out any bruises (if you don't already) it might help.
>> >
>> > I certainly peel them, but haven't paid close attention to cutting out
>> > all the damaged bits. I know about the skin irritation bit; they (and
>> > many other members of the family) contain a chemical that blocks the
>> > skin's ability to protect itself from the sun. Depending on the
>> > sensitivity of your skin you may not see any reaction from quite
>> > prolonged contact on solidly overcast days, but sunlight leads to a
>> > remarkable burn -- I tested some wild parsnip on my (inner) arm and it
>> > raised blisters 12 hours later. I pity the youngsters who used to use
>> > the stems as peashooters!
>> >
>> Is that a feature of all the Umbellifera?
>
> I don't know, but it's possible, perhaps to a lesser extent. The
> compounds involved are psoralens and furanocoumarins. There are records
> of contact dermatitis suffered by people working with carrots, angelica,
> and dill to name some of the more popular plants; others, such as Giant
> Hogweed (_Hieraceum mantegazzianum_, from memory!) are very dangerous. I
> tested the Wild Parsnip to judge whether the results were sufficiently
> severe to have put two lads in hospital with what were diagnosed as
> 'chemical burns' on their legs. The answer was most definitely 'Yes',
> and I'd add I have *never* itched so much from anything before (but then
> I don't think I ever encountered Poison Ivy).
>
I don't recall ever reacting to "Sheep's parsley" as a kid. Until these
posts, I didn't know of these complaints/reactions and the Umbellifera are
such an important source of food, herbs and spices.
Graham