# Beware: Pine Nuts May Temporarily Destroy Your Sense Of Taste



## Russellkhan (Jun 20, 2009)

I love pine nuts, but I figure I'll avoid them for awhile.

Consumerist - Beware: Pine Nuts May Temporary Destroy Your Sense Of Taste - pine nuts


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## BreezyCooking (Jun 20, 2009)

The link you provided took me directly to a site that, really, normally has good information, but also sometimes resorts to a bit of sensationalism to lure folks in. Which is why I continue to REFUSE to be drawn in to subscribe to them.  Which is what they ultimately want.

In my opinion, that's all that site is. And the reports re: pine nuts are ridiculous. I know your heart was in the right place, but really - I've been buying pine nuts - locally & online (I have a GREAT online source if anyone is interested) - for gee, over 20 years, & have yet to experience any ill effects.  Have never had a problem with both local or Chinese pine nuts.  Period.


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## GrillingFool (Jun 20, 2009)

And Zicam administered to the nose might PERMANENTLY destroy your sense of smell.


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## ellakav (Jun 20, 2009)

GrillingFool said:


> And Zicam administered to the nose might PERMANENTLY destroy your sense of smell.


 

I actually know someone that happened to.  it wasn't permanent 
though.  apparently there is some validity to that one, but the
pine nut thing is crap.


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## kitchenelf (Jun 21, 2009)

Off topic to a degree - - - I took some Ibuprofen one afternoon.  Went out to dinner and EVERY single wine I tried tasted like vinegar.  The waiter asked if I had taken anything such as aspirin, Aleve, etc.  He said he has heard of this before.  I was very surprised.  I very rarely take anything for pain/headache/etc.  He tried several wines, opened new bottles, and they were ALL vinegar.


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## Russellkhan (Jun 21, 2009)

BreezyCooking said:
			
		

> The link you provided took me directly to a site that, really, normally has good information, but also sometimes resorts to a bit of sensationalism to lure folks in. Which is why I continue to REFUSE to be drawn in to subscribe to them. Which is what they ultimately want


Not sure which articles you found sensationalistic there, but I would guess that it was probably some time ago that they appeared. The Consumerist is one of my favorite sites on the web, and it is run very responsibly these days. The site used to belong to the Gawker network of blogs, which went through a desperate financial period a few months ago. This may have been the cause of the articles that turned you off. Gawker no longer owns the Consumerist, it is now a part of the Consumers' Union, the same good folks who bring us Consumer Reports. You'll notice that the only advertising on the site is for Consumer Reports and possibly other Consumers' Union projects.



			
				BreezyCooking said:
			
		

> And the reports re: pine nuts are ridiculous. I know your heart was in the right place, but really - I've been buying pine nuts - locally & online (I have a GREAT online source if anyone is interested) - for gee, over 20 years, & have yet to experience any ill effects. Have never had a problem with both local or Chinese pine nuts. Period.


See the links below ellakav's quote.



ellakav said:


> apparently there is some validity to that one, but the pine nut thing is crap.



I'm interested to know, what makes you say it's "crap"? The fact that you don't know someone it happened to?

The article I posted was from a reputable site, it contained links referencing two other sources on the web, and a quick google search turns up plenty more sites with similar information, including firsthand accounts and medical journals.

*From the Wikipedia article on pine nuts:*


> The eating of pine nuts can cause serious taste disturbances, developing 1-3 days after consumption and lasting for days or weeks. A bitter, metallic taste is described. In general, a minority of pine nuts on the market present this problem. Though very unpleasant, there does not seem to be a real health concern.
> This phenomenon was first described in a scientific paper in 2001.[6] Since the article, experiences of the phenomenon have been reported by hundreds of people worldwide (US, Canada, South Africa, Finland, Iceland, Germany, and many more).[7] [8]
> The pine nuts involved typically contain triglycerides formed by 16-18° unsaturated fatty acids. No contamination with pesticide residues or heavy metals was found.


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## JMediger (Jun 21, 2009)

Thank you for the information Russ.  While it won't stop me from eating pine nuts either (hey, I eat my steaks cold in the middle ...), it is good to be informed.


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## ErikC (Jun 21, 2009)

kitchenelf said:


> Off topic to a degree - - - I took some Ibuprofen one afternoon.  Went out to dinner and EVERY single wine I tried tasted like vinegar.  The waiter asked if I had taken anything such as aspirin, Aleve, etc.  He said he has heard of this before.  I was very surprised.  I very rarely take anything for pain/headache/etc.  He tried several wines, opened new bottles, and they were ALL vinegar.



Hmm...I usually need pain killers *after* I drink!


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## BreezyCooking (Jun 21, 2009)

For probably nearly every substance on the PLANET, there are going to be people who have adverse reactions to that substance.  This is FACT.

Between my fractured spine, & thoroughly bolted-together leg, I can't get out of bed in the morning without Ibuprofen, which I also take throughout the day (under physician supervision).  Yet, I also enjoy wine, & have NEVER had any problem with any wine tasting like "vinegar" (unless it was bad one that turned - lol!).  Does that mean we should all stop using Advil because some people are sensitive to it?

The POINT here is that WAY TOO MANY sites claim that this or that ruins one's taste, causes headaches, destroys the senses, yadayadayada - yet NO ONE seems to realize that these are PERSONAL problems.  They're not widespread.  And sites like this are rarely just cautionary - they guardedly insist that we avoid or even boycott the substance.  This is ridiculous in 99% of the case.

For instance, MSG doesn't bother me at all, yet it causes problems for other people.  Sorry, but that doesn't automatically mean that everyone should stop using MSG.  Many folks have adverse reactions to shellfish, which is nearly always due to what the shellfish were dining on before they were caught.  Should we all stop eating shrimp?  Should everyone stop using Advil or Zicam (which also doesn't bother me at all - & I'm not a "super being") because some people are sensitive to it?

Yes - certain people are ALWAYS going to have sensitivity to certain ingestives.  But unlike shout-outs re: e-coli outbreaks, yadayadayada, the bottom line is that if your system is adverse to a particular substance or food, simple stop ingesting it.


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## Alix (Jun 21, 2009)

Thanks Russellkhan for the links and the info. 

Breezy, we hear you that you disagree with the info. I don't believe anyone is advocating a wholesale boycott of pine nuts, but rather offering an explanation should this happen to one of us. Information is valuable, the more we have the better we can make decisions. 

I don't want to lock this baby down so can we all take a step back here please?
24 hour rule folks, if you see something that bugs you badly give it 24 hours before you post back.


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