Toxic poppy seeds are sending people to hospital in Australia. A reminder that dietary supplements are considered as foods, not drugs

[AussieNeil]

If you are using supplements to hopefully manage your CLL, here is an example of why what's natural can make you very ill and why you need to ensure that you obtain your supplements from a reputable source. Along with their use in foods and drinks, poppy seeds are the source of medically important chemicals, but the variety very importantly determines the concentration of these chemicals - and the difference between a pleasant drink or addition to a meal and an emergency admission to hospital and possibly death.

A nationwide recall of poppy seeds has been announced after a spate of poisonings across the country.

Non-food-grade poppy seeds, containing high amounts of the controlled drug thebaine, have since been discovered in the food supply chain. Here's the situation as it stands.

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Australia is one of the largest global producers of poppy seeds, with Tasmania at one point estimated to have supplied half of global stocks.

The crop is tightly controlled, because the plant's capsules can be deadly if ingested. Overdoses from drinking poppy have been fatal.

From There is a nationwide recall of toxic poppy seeds. What is thebaine? And how do you get sick from poppy seeds?

abc.net.au/news/2022-11-16/...

More information from this The Conversation article:-

theconversation.com/toxic-p...

Poppy seeds come from the poppy plant Papaver somniferum. This plant produces a number of chemicals called alkaloids. Some, like morphine and codeine, have been used medicinally for thousands of years to treat pain and other conditions.

Other naturally occurring poppy alkaloids – such as thebaine, noscapine, laudanosine and papaverine – are less-well described in terms of their effects on humans, but they can have a wide range of toxic effects.

Different varieties of poppy plants contain different amounts of these alkaloids.

Some have very low amounts, which tend to be used to produce food-grade poppy seeds. Varieties with higher amounts are used to produce medicines, such as morphine and codeine.

What happened recently then?

The non-food grade poppy seeds that incorrectly entered the human food supply contain high amounts of the alkaloid thebaine.

Thebaine has very different effects to morphine. In large doses it causes severe and prolonged muscle cramps, spasms, seizures and cardiac arrests, as seen in the recent cluster of poisonings.

High concentrations of thebaine have been identified in the blood of affected people in this latest cluster.

To our knowledge, this is the first time that thebaine has entered the food chain in Australia. However, there are a couple of reports of people who have had severe toxicity after consuming non-food grade poppy seeds in recent decades.

How many poppy seeds are we talking about?

All reported cases in the current cluster at the time of the recall occurred after people consumed poppy seeds as part of a drink – similar to a brewed tea.

Most people had consumed more than 100g poppy seeds (about 11 tablespoons). Although, 50g (5-6 tablespoons) may be sufficient to cause poisoning. Thebaine can build up in the body if you ingest it several times over the same day.

Also keep in mind that the quantities recommended for a medicinal effect against cancer can be much higher than that recommended for more typical uses, so ingredient or contaminant exposure will also be much higher.

Neil

[Kiwidi]

Far out Brussel Sprout! We need to be so careful about the supplements we take and the information we find about them on-line. I’d say stick to a well balanced diet, exercise and make sure you have a great network of people to support you positively. It is so easy to be taken in by the ‘quackery’ we are exposed to every day. Kia kaha (stay strong) everyone!

[pigeonCl-HU]

Hi Neal, call me overcautious: but after reading your enlightening-but frightening-post, I am taking poppy seeds off the menu here, unless they are organic.

Just thinking....hope no bad news crop up regarding other seeds; e.g. sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, chia, to name but a few.....To be on the safe side, and because I have a suspicious mind, I only buy organically grown seeds anyway.

[Annie1920 in reply to pigeonCl-HU]

Organic or not if the poppy variety is the wrong one you could still be poisoned!

[pigeonCl-HU in reply to Annie1920]

Of course Annie, Mother Nature presents us with an array of perfectly crafted poisons, from strychnine to cyanide. Nightshade, bitter almonds, and countless other plants, have been growing happily, obviously 'organically' for millennia.

What I meant was that if you buy a product which has been certified organic by a reputable agency, such as the Soil Association here in the UK, for example, you at least have the assurance that the food item you are buying is fit for human consumption.

Therefore, after reading Neil's post, when I buy poppy seeds, I shall make sure they have been certified organic. I shall have the peace of mind that the alkaloids in them are within the safety limits for use in food. (Thanks again, Neil, )

pigeon

[LeoPa]

How exactly does a controlled drug get into poppy seeds? Ground poppy seeds mixed with sugar and sprinkled on top of noodles was one of my favorite childhood foods. Tasty! Needless to say I do not have that anymore for obvious reasons, being very much not in line with paleo principles 😁

[pigeonCl-HU in reply to LeoPa]

The controlled drug thebaine, did not get into the poppy seeds, it was there all along. As the article explains, it is a naturally occurring alkaloid within the poppy seed.

The poppy seeds that you and I consume, have been harvested from poppy varieties which produce very low amounts of toxic alkaloids. Whether those varieties are naturally occurring or have been intentionally cultivated to produce the edible seeds, I am not sure.

I wouldn't be surprised that the high-alkaloids containing seeds, which have infiltrated the market, were probably purchased online? Who knows, just my guess.

[LeoPa in reply to pigeonCl-HU]

Thanks, copy.

[Edalv]

It hard to believe someone would consume 100g of poppy seeds in a single dosage. That’s equivalent to about 1/2 cup of dry seeds… Obviously that would cause serious gastrointestinal issues…

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to Edalv]

I didn't know poppy seeds were used to make a tea drink, which is where the reported poisonings occurred, presumably because the thebaine accumulated over a day or so. The tea making obviously leached out the thebaine from the seeds; the 100g of seeds wasn't consumed, just the tea.

Neil

[Edalv in reply to AussieNeil]

Thanks for the clarification. When I read the following description I thought that 100g of seeds were consumed: “Most people had consumed more than 100g poppy seeds (about 11 tablespoons). Although, 50g (5-6 tablespoons) may be sufficient to cause poisoning. Thebaine can build up in the body if you ingest it several times over the same day.”

[CycleWonder]

When I used to make bread, one of my favorite toppings was poppy seeds! But I sprinkled a teaspoon over an entire loaf. Sadly, I don’t make fresh bread anymore. I can’t tolerate the carbs and my son the gluten.