Christmas poisons.

Poison isn’t confined to Agatha Christie TV specials: many Christmas favourites harbour deadly secrets

Paracelsus, a sixteenth century German Swiss philosopher wrote, “The dose makes the poison”; in essence, too much is too much. It’s one of those things that needed saying to make people think about it properly. Just __________ much of something is too much? And, in Christmas, is there anything we _____________ worry about?
Obviously, overeating isn’t healthy in the first place, but who can resist that extra mince pie or the last roast potato? As the pile of empty sweet _______________ grew beside me, I started to worry. So, I sat down to have a think about Paracelsus and some of the more toxic ____________ available to us at Christmas.
The most toxic thing you might eat this Christmas is cyanide, in marzipan. Yes, it’s true, marzipan contains a source of cyanide, the same _______________you hear about in spy’s suicide pills and the pages of murder mystery novels. But don’t panic, it’s only present in very very tiny ______________. You would have to eat at least 35 kilograms of marzipan in one _____________ to get a lethal dose of cyanide – at which point it really isn’t the cyanide you should be worrying about.
Marzipan is flavoured with almonds – and almonds contain a source of cyanide, amygdalin. Amygdalin can be broken down by enzymes in the gut to release hydrogen cyanide, which is readily absorbed into the blood and transported to cells where it can stop cell respiration in its tracks. This is why cyanide kills: it stops the body being able to generate energy and cells die rapidly.
Second on the list is nutmeg. For centuries nutmeg has been used as a recreational high, but you actually need to ingest quite a bit of nutmeg to experience its physiological effects: about one to one and a half nutmegs grated, but amounts vary between individuals (this is in no way a recommendation or a challenge. Seriously: don’t try this at home). The amounts of nutmeg normally used in recipes for mince pies and Christmas puddings won’t cause you any problems.



Third on the list is mistletoe. Hopefully your Christmas holiday won’t be so bad that you are reduced to chewing the decorations, but in case you were thinking about it: don’t. Mistletoe, and the berries especially, contain phoratoxin, which has similar effects on the body as digitalis, the heart drug that is toxic in surprisingly small amounts. Thankfully, mistletoe poisoning can be successfully treated in the same way as digitalis overdoses.

Continuing the decorative theme we come to the poinsettia. Damage to leaves and stems of the plant causes a milky sap to be exuded, which contains diterpene esters that can irritate the skin. Although this won’t do you any serious harm, it is still worth thinking about where you place poinsettias if you have pets or small children who might decide to chew the leaves.
It is the season of goodwill to all. Save the poisonings for an Agatha Christie drama on the telly. If anyone should accidentally ingest any of the above in dangerous amounts, make a note of what they have taken and call an ambulance – let medical experts treat the patient. Most importantly: eat, drink and be merry this Christmas and have a healthy and happy New Year.

1- Fill in the blanks in paragraphs one, two and three with some of the words in the box below.

AMOUNTS	SITTING	HOW	DAMAGE	CAN
WRAPPERS	WHAT	TREATS	STUFF	SHOULD

2- True or false.

1. Traditional Christmas sweets contain toxic substancies that can kill you if you are not careful.___

2. Marzipan is made with cyanide. _____

3. Agatha Christie mad her murders use these substances in her novels. _______

4. Nutmeg is a spice you use in small quantities ___

5. Mistletoe is something we use to make food more savory but it is rarely use i big quantities ____

6. Poinsettias have become very popular recently for decorating the house for Christmas____

7. You should never touch poinsettias _______

8. People usually kill themselves by eating these substances because they get depressed at Christmas ______

3- What is the final message?.

A. Be careful with everything you eat in Christmas, and specially with those objects you use to decorate your home. They contain dangerous poisons that can kill you in no time.

B. Enjoy your Christmas holidays and eat and drink with moderation.

C. If you think you are poisoned, call an ambulance.

I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS