Poisonous? Archives

The secret to male birth control may lie in this poisonous herb extract

January 18, 2018 Loknath Dasbirth, Control, extract, Herb, In, lie, Male, May, Poisonous?, Secret, The, This, to

A plant extract, traditionally used by African warriors as a heart-stopping poison on their arrows, may be used to develop birth control pill for men, a study in mice suggests. Women have many options for oral contraceptives that are safe, effective and reversible, but despite decades of research, men have none. Two types of African plants make the poisonous compound called ouabain. Mammals also produce it in their bodies, though at lower levels that are thought to help control blood pressure; doctors sometimes prescribe small doses of the compound to…

Is Litchi Poisonous? Here’s How Toxins in the Fruit Killed Children in Bihar

February 3, 2017 SrijitaBihar, Children, Fruit, Here's, How, In, Is, killed, Litchi, Poisonous?, The, toxins

This juicy, lovely fruit is a favourite for many but some disturbing news about poisonous litchis has turned many fans away. The incident dates back to 2014 when a number of children died after consuming litchis. Three years later, scientists and experts may have an explanation to why this happened? It maybe a popular summer fruit, but litchis are not that simple in nature. Bihar, the largest producer of litchis in India. It became almost a mystery that why a humble fruit like litchi suddenly turned fatal. Health experts tried…