I was asked this question after my post on Cullen species,
https://toowoombaplants2008.blogspot.com/search?q=Cullen+tenax
None of my bushfood books mention it, but I found several internet references to recipes for using the seeds in cooking (a cake, and biscuits).
I could find no references to aboriginal use of it, or to any testing having been done to establish the safety of eating the seeds.
I am aware that enthusiasm for bushfoods has led to some experimentation with foods that may not be safe to eat, so would not suggest that anyone do it, without having some further knowledge.
Can anyone help us here?
A LATER NOTE:
I would like to draw readers' attention to Comment 5.
I suggest that anyone considering eating seeds of any Cullen species looks up the Wikipedia article on the subject of furanocoumarins. If you are taking medications, you might also wish to read this one:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3589309/
If you have read the article recommended in Comment 5, you will notice that one of the furanocoumarins contained in Cullen seeds is psoralen, which also produces phototoxic reactions (such as increasing the tendency to get sunburned more easily, or suffer eye damage from sunshine).
For me, the problem is that there seems to be (as yet) no research on how much or how little Cullen seed it takes, to get negative effects. I suggest that readers who wish to eat Cullen seeds do your own reading, and decide for yourselves whether you do or do not regard them as a risky thing for you to eat.
As always with such relatively untried foods, however, I do recommend that you don't give them to children.
6 comments:
Hi Trish, have a look at this web site, he eats the seeds and even has a cake recipe using them.
https://fairdinkumseeds.com, then do a search of this website for Cullen tenax.
John.
Thanks John. I saw that site as well. I have comments about it.
One is that fairdinkum seeds may have done its research properly. I have no way of knowing this, although the one thing we do know about them is that they have an interest in making sales.
That I can find neither research on the safety of these seeds, nor any reliable record of their use by Aborigines is what gives me pause.
That someone has eaten small quantities of a particular plant, and has not died, is not really good evidence that it is safe to eat. There are many things which will be quietly damaging your kidneys (or causing some other small but cumulative damage) while the person eating the food may be unaware of the effect. Such people may continue to be unaware that their problems are self-inflicted even as they find their bodies badly damaged, and themselves needing support such as an expensive and life-disruptive dialysis machine.
I am concerned that there are several modern "bandwagon" bushfoods which have arisen and gained popularity through the internet, despite the fact that research can't find any evidence of their traditional use as a food by aborigines.
Or it finds that they were eaten, but only after proper preparation to make them safe
Or they were eaten as a famine food, when a calculated assessment of the risk made the people decide that the side effects were less serious than death by starvation. In most cases these side effects could be recovered from when the item was completely discarded from the diet once the emergency was over.i.e the hair that had fallen out would regrow, and so on.
So, thanks for the comment, but as you can see, I really do like to make sure my blog only contains only well-supported facts. I am not taking a stance against use of Cullen tenax as food - only saying that neither can I support it. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone given the state of my current knowledge.
Trish
G'day Patricia!
Leigh here from FairDinkumSeeds.
You are 100% right I do have an interest in making sales, after all, it's how I pay the rent.
:)
I also have an interest in promotion of native species for use as foods as they are much better suited to our climate and conditions.
In many case they are as, if not more productive than the more common imports.
I also reckon that you are right that there are risks with eating any new food, and those risks can be huge.
Just look at the humble peanut, folks die from it all the time.
I reckon it's a bit dodgy the way you worded this bit though, as it implies that this species causes kidney failure, when there is absolutely no evidence of this.
"There are many things which will be quietly damaging your kidneys (or causing some other small but cumulative damage)"
"could" not "will" I reckon is a less misleading wording.
I am also concerned by the irresponsible promotion of bush foods, and that is why I always have information relating to how I personally prepare them.
In many cases I say despite the fact X species is sold as a food, it isn't a safe one, or the preparation needed makes it a complete waste of time.
I could wack up a few links as examples but I didn't want my comment to be flagged as spam.
I do only have anecdotal evidence, and first hand experience of this fellas safety as a food. Heaps of it, but yeah, no studies.
But I mean, I only have anecdotal evidence and first hand experience of grapes, oranges or walnuts safety as a food too.
Doesn't stop me enjoying them though.
I do understand your hesitance to give anything the big tick safety wise and I really like your stance.
I just reckon the way you worded it could have been better as all of the things you mentioned as side effects are from completely different species, far more dangerous than this guy.
Things I would never consider eating, and if I was selling them I would say that clearly in the advert text, as I always do.
Love the blog and your wealth of knowledge is really cool to see.
If you ever want to do a seed swap feel free to hit me up.
You have access to a heap of species I would love to add to my collection.
Hello Leigh and other readers of these comments.
My apologies if it seemed to you, Leigh, that I was taking a personal swipe at you or your business Fairdinkum Seeds and implying that you do not research the safety of the seeds you sell.
It was certainly not intended.
I hadn't thought that my remark that "fairdinkum seeds may have done its research properly. I have no way of knowing this" implied that I had some reason for thinking that you had NOT done whatever research you deem adequate. I hasten to assure you all that I have no reason for wanting to imply any such thing, and hope that you will understand it as I meant it.
I do not know the people from Fairdinkim Seeds, and have therefore no knowledge of the people involved or their internal processes, except for having received the impression that they are a long-standing business with a good reputation.
This was actually my reason for including their name alongside the reference to the university. Universities are known for their adherence to research-based decisions.
I would like to assure you all that what is my own, perhaps over-cautious approach to safety of foods that are not part of modern Australian traditional diet is something that I hope you will assess intelligently for yourselves, and place beside the opinions of others who do not agree with me.
Leigh, if you want to discuss it further, I do have an email address which you will find in the right-hand column of the full-page view of my blogsite.
Trish
Hello Patricia,
I know this thread has been dormant for some time, but i currently find myself on a similar search as i cultivate cullen tennax at home. while i found no studies looking directly at the long term effects of consuming cullen tennax seeds, i did find one that summarized any compounds of concern detected in the seeds:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254723984_The_potential_of_herbaceous_native_Australian_legumes_as_grain_crops_A_review
Page 79
it seems the only compounds of particular concern present in the seeds are furanocoumarins. the paper doesn't seem to consider the quantities in which they're found to be a particularly strong risk however, and it seems they're also found in many common citrus fruits.
I hope this helps your investigations into the plant, if they're still ongoing.
Thank you for that comment. As you see, I felt it required acknowledgement in an addendum to the blog post. My own feeling about eating bushfoods, is to say "when in doubt, don't", but others should feel free to make their own (informed) decisions.
Trish
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