As the saying goes, nobody’s perfect
We’ve all given an out of date milk a ‘sniff test’ before using it in our tea and we’ve all picked a spot of mould from a slice of bread before toasting it.
But for the most part, we’re all pretty good at remembering Mum’s old saying, if you don’t know what it is, don’t put it in your mouth.
That’s Adulting 101.
26-year-old video blogger, Zhang, missed that vital life lesson. The Chinese YouTuber has caused a stir after a live stream of her eating what she thought was Aloe Vera turned out to be a live stream of the young woman poisoning herself with agave americana (or, american aloe), a plant grown in Mexico.
While there is no record of this plant being considered noxious, it is noted that the plant can trigger allergic reaction in some people and cause irritation and rashes.
Zhang, who is only known by her YouTube username, decided to showcase the health benefits of eating raw aloe vera and film herself eating and relishing the popular century plant. She is at first quite taken with the plant.
In the live broadcast, she says, “This is great. Yum.”
She takes another bite, and that’s when things get scary.
The woman says, “Oh, that’s bitter. That is really bitter.”
Zhang is still recovering in hospital but has said that by the third bite, her mouth went numb and her throat was on fire.
The agave Americana kicked in straight away, and the quick thinking YouTuber took herself straight to a hospital, realising something was not right.
It’s been reported doctors treated the 26-year-old for severe rashes and blisters, and later pumped her stomach to remove all trace of the poisonous substance.
What is Agave Americana?
Agave americana is also known as sentry plant, century plant, maguey, or American aloe – despite the name, it’s not actually closely linked with plants in the Aloe family.
According to website Herbal Supplement Resource, agave americana has its origin in the wild desert areas of Central America and particularly in Mexico.
The website also notes that plant has multiple uses including medicinal and culinary, agave nectar comes from this plant.
Read more here.
Make sure you consult an expert before eating anything you’re not sure about.
