Plant atlas Short
Cassava Can Release Cyanide If Eaten Raw
Cassava · มันสำปะหลัง · Manihot esculenta
Cassava — มันสำปะหลัง (man-sam-pa-lang) — Manihot esculenta.
This root feeds a billion people — but eat it raw and it can release cyanide. You eat the root tuber. Lab fermentation work shows cassava resistant starch can be turned by gut bacteria into butyrate. It's rich in vitamin C, manganese, and copper. Copper helps your body put iron to work, contributes to normal energy metabolism, and supports healthy connective tissue and nerves. Khanom Man Sam Pa Lang is a classic chewy Thai steamed cassava cake made from grated cassava, steamed until translucent, then rolled in salted coconut and paired perfectly with hot jasmine tea. Man Sam Pa Lang Chueam is a Thai sweetened cassava dish of tender chunks simmered in sweet syrup, drizzled with salty-sweet coconut cream, and served alongside crushed ice. Always peel, soak, and cook cassava thoroughly — raw root can release cyanide, and repeated exposure can cause poisoning. It's also one of the easiest crops to grow. Follow Longevity Biome for a new Thai plant every day.
Steamed Cassava Cake — ขนมมันสำปะหลัง (kha-nom-mun-sam-pa-lang)
Sweetened Cassava — มันสำปะหลังเชื่อม (mun-sam-pa-lang-chuam)
Source: Teichmann J, Cockburn DW (2021). In-vitro fermentation & butyrate from resistant starch. Front Microbiol 12:640253. PMC8117019
Educational content, not medical advice! Consult your doctor before changing diet or medication.
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Food and nutrients
Rich in: vitamin C, manganese, copper
Research context
Cassava's resistant starch can be fermented by gut bacteria into butyrate — Frontiers in Microbiology, 2021 (in vitro)