The seeds of the Yunnan Su Tie tree, also known as the Iron Tree Fruit, have medicinal properties such as dampness elimination, invigorating the spleen and stomach, and relieving cough and phlegm. Although the Iron Tree Fruit can be used in medicine, it is not edible mainly due to its toxicity!
Can Iron Tree Fruit be eaten?
After the female Iron Tree blooms, it may bear fruit, but the fruit is poisonous and cannot be eaten directly.
The Iron Tree is dioecious, with male flowers in cylindrical shape and female flowers in hemispherical shape. The female flowers can bear fruit through pollination by the male flowers. The "fruit" that residents see on the Iron Tree, which is about the size of chestnuts, is more accurately called "seeds" and can be used to cultivate seedlings directly.
However, it is important to note that the Iron Tree seeds are toxic and cannot be eaten directly. Eating a certain amount of them can even cause suffocation and death.
The toxicity of Iron Tree Fruit
1. Carcinogenic
Since 1962, it has been found that feeding rats with Su Tie glycosides from Iron Tree Fruit mixed in food can cause tumors in the liver, kidneys, and other organs. Su Tie glycosides have been synthesized as carcinogens.
2. Neurotoxicity
Cows that consume Iron Tree Fruit seeds can experience paralysis and often develop muscular atrophy caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. There is also demyelination in the fascicles and dorsal columns of the spinal cord, as well as deposition of osmiumophilic substances.
Therefore, it is important to follow medical advice when using the effects and benefits of Iron Tree Fruit!
