Poisonous plants inside your home

The idea of leaving poisonous plants out for any child or animal to consume in or home is one that most mothers and pet owners would find horrifying. However, many toxic substances are lying about in our homes, due to the presence of ordinary houseplants. Though in many adults poisonous plants cause no more than a strong upset stomach, they can ultimately be the cause of death in small children or pets.

Philodendron is a beautiful houseplant, but it is unfortunately also quite toxic. When consumed, it can cause painful swallowing, internal burning and itching, and vomiting. These reactions are caused by calcium oxalates that the plant contains. Another plant that contains calcium oxalates is dumb cane, and this plant can have many of the same side effects as philodendron: difficulty swallowing, burning, vomiting, and general internal irritation.

English ivy has actually been the cause of death of animals as large as cattle. Though presumably these animals were left to graze upon the plant for much longer than they should have been, the truth is English ivy has been the source of vomiting, convulsions, paralysis, and comas. Even touching the plant can cause highly allergic reactions that manifest in blisters. This is one of the most dangerous of poisonous houseplants and should never be ingested.

Another beautiful plant that is highly toxic is the elephant ear. Although quite a lovely addition to any garden or indoor décor, elephant’s ears, like philodendron and dumb cane, is full of calcium oxalates that cause swallowing problems, and potential vomiting, burning, and irritation.

As far as beautiful houseplants go, none are as celebrated in many parts of the world as the mistletoe. Unfortunately, the mistletoe can cause severe problems if ingested. It contains toxalbumin and pharatoxin viscumin. What this means is that if anyone consumes mistletoe, it is likely to cause them to become disoriented, have difficulty breathing, and may even result in their cardiovascular system collapsing.

The poisonous houseplants mentioned above are by no means the only poisonous houseplants that exist. If you have any crawling tots or curious cats, it is absolutely essential that you check to see its toxicity level before purchasing it.

Aloe vera a poisonous plant?

The answer is somewhat complicated, but can be summed up pretty easily: if you eat the poisonous plant parts wrong part of the Aloe vera, you will experience vomiting and likely extremely loose and painful bowel movements. However, if you eat the correct portions of the Aloe vera plant, you may experience quite delightful surprises in your increased health.

The problematic part of the Aloe vera plant is the greenish-yellow part of the plant at the bottom of the Aloe vera stalk. The part that is supposed to work wonders is the gel of the aloe plant, which can be obtained by stripping away the skin and inner layer of juice. This Aloe vera gel is the main ingredient in many products, such as yogurts and drinks that proclaim to have magical healing properties.

That begs the question, what exactly, is Aloe vera supposed to do for your internal health? Most of us know how soothing Aloe vera can be to the outside cuts and scrapes and burns, but the question is, will the Aloe vera do the same to the inside of our bodies?

Many people believe so. Aloe vera has been argued to improve glucose levels in people with diabetes, and lower inflammation in people suffering with ulcerative colitiis. Additionally, Aloe vera has been shown to many anti-fungal properties.

The basic key to keep in mind when deciding to use Aloe vera internally is that you can always buy it from a health food store with the poisonous plants part already removed, and then you will not have to worry about accidentally poisoning yourself.