Recently, a video titled “A college student mistakenly eats wild sarsaparilla thinking it is ginseng, and sleeps for 17 hours” has gone viral on short video platforms, sparking widespread discussion.
The individual involved, Xiao Yi , stated that she thought she had dug up “ginseng,” and after taking a bite, she slept from around 4 PM until 9 AM the next day. “The soil was very loose, and I pulled out something easily, we all thought it was ginseng.”
Xiao Yi told reporters that she was initially worried, “I was afraid I had pulled out someone’s homework,” but later learned that the plant in that area was wild, and thought it was “ginseng.”
According to reports from Hongxing News, Xiao Yi mentioned that she is currently studying in South Korea and provided photos of the cross-section and roots of the plant she consumed.
The wild sarsaparilla dug up by Xiao Yi, photo provided by the interviewee
According to Zhang Jing, a licensed herbalist at the pharmacy department of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, based on the provided root and original plant information, it is undoubtedly wild sarsaparilla. Wild sarsaparilla (Zhanglu) is a perennial herb belonging to the sarsaparilla family, characterized by its fleshy roots, also known as Zhang Liu root, Ye Hu, Shan Luo Bo, and Jian Zhong Xiao. The root can be used medicinally.
Zhang Jing stated, “This student seems to have just taken a nap, but in reality, it is a poisoning reaction, which is quite dangerous. She later woke up possibly because the amount consumed was not very large, and the toxicity itself would be metabolized by the body.”
In the comments section, many netizens expressed, “You think you fell asleep, but in fact, you fainted” “The immune system went crazy” “This seems like the last herb tasted by Shennong”…
Zhang Jing noted that consuming large amounts of wild sarsaparilla can lead to poisoning symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, tachycardia, followed by slurred speech, agitation, convulsions, coma, myocardial suppression, leading to cardiac arrest, decreased blood pressure, and dilated pupils, resulting in myocardial paralysis and death.
Regarding the saying “the last herb tasted by Shennong,” Zhang Jing explained that Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs is a legendary story, “tasting the flavors of various herbs and the sweetness and bitterness of spring water, allowing the people to know what to avoid.” It is said that the last herb was the “breaking intestines grass,” which does not necessarily refer to a specific plant, but is a general term for toxic plants.
Cross-section of the wild sarsaparilla consumed by Xiao Yi, photo provided by the interviewee
Sichuan CDC: Wild sarsaparilla is not ginseng, be sure to identify correctly!
Reporters noted that this year, several people have been hospitalized due to mistakenly consuming “American sarsaparilla.”
On November 29, Sichuan CDC issued a reminder that the stems of wild sarsaparilla are purple-red and toxic, but resemble many wild vegetables. The roots of wild sarsaparilla and the roots of wild ginseng look similar, leading people to mistakenly harvest and consume them due to a lack of identification skills. Reports of poisoning incidents due to the consumption of wild sarsaparilla leaves or roots have been reported in Chengdu, Mianyang, Ziyang, and Meishan.
Sichuan CDC stated that if poisoning symptoms occur, immediately induce vomiting and seek medical attention as soon as possible. To avoid poisoning, it is recommended to purchase medicinal materials from reputable stores and take them under the guidance of a physician, and do not self-harvest and consume wild plants.
Source: China Youth Daily (ID: zqbcyol, Editor: Chen Qian) from Hongxing News, Sichuan CDC, etc.
