Like any other mushroom, boletus has false counterparts that are not recommended to be eaten. Fortunately, modern medicine does not know of deaths caused by poisoning with false oils. Moreover, with proper cleaning and proper heat treatment, some experienced mushroom pickers cook them on a par with common edible oil. Still, false representatives of this species can pretty much harm the human body.
The first signs of poisoning with false oils
Perhaps, due to inexperience or carelessness, a false oil can accidentally fell into the basket and was soon cooked along with edible mushrooms. What to do in case of food poisoning, and what steps should be taken to help the patient? First you need to figure out what signs and symptoms characteristic of oil poisoning can be observed in the human body.
I must say that the first symptoms of poisoning with false oils begin to appear after 2-18 hours. Since inedible mushrooms have a gastroenterotropic effect, all symptoms of poisoning are likely to be associated with a disorder of the digestive system.
First of all, a person experiences acute abdominal pain and nausea, which are then supplemented by vomiting, loose and frequent stools (up to 20-25 times a day). In more rare cases, there is a significant increase in temperature and dizziness. The degree of poisoning depends on the amount eaten and on the individual characteristics of the organism itself.
Causes of poisoning with false oils and first aid
There is no need to wait until the patient has all the symptoms of oil poisoning – first aid must be provided even at the initial stage of the disease. As a matter of urgency, you need to call a doctor and independently wash the patient's stomach. Give him a lot of warm water with activated charcoal dissolved in it. This will help to maximize the cleansing of the stomach and intestines from harmful toxins. Also, place a warm heating pad or bottle of water on the patient's stomach and legs to prevent circulatory problems.
The reasons for poisoning with false oils can be very different. Thus, even edible mushrooms, collected from the road or near industrial plants, become a real source of toxins and heavy metal salts. The cap of the oil can, like a sponge, absorbs all the toxic substances from the air. Therefore, if you are not sure about the place of picking the mushroom, then it is better to abandon the idea of putting it in a basket.
With proper primary and secondary processing, in many cases even false boletus can be edible. However, it is still better to learn how to identify false oil.
Keeping in mind these simple rules for picking and processing mushrooms, the 'quiet hunt' will bring you only pleasure and benefit.
