Seating and storage solutions

Tis the season to be Jolly tra la la la laaa la la la laaaaaa

Mistletoe hanging over head, Holly wreaths hung on many doors and of course both plants used for table centrepieces, it can only mean one thing – It’s Chrisssstmassss. But beware of the hidden dangers of those wonderful seasonal holly and mistletoe decorations.

Kiss, but don’t tell.

Getting up close and personal under the mistletoe is something of a Christmas tradition, be it at the Christmas party, in the office or at home. Although sometimes the thought of a peck on the cheek or nice gummy kiss from granny can be a little too much to bear. But even the taste of granny may be a better option than the taste of mistletoe or holly. A lot of us will know someone who has eaten a berry or two as a kid and lived to tell the tale, so just how poisonous are these lovely festive decorations?

That really depends on the type of mistletoe and what part you eat. One species contains a toxin called phoratoxin, another species of mistletoe contains a slightly different cocktail of chemicals, including the poisonous alkaloid tyramine. Although mistletoe also has therapeutic uses, eating any part of the plant particularly the leaves or berries, or drinking a tea from the plant can result in sickness and possibly death.

Don’t forget you need to beware of those pretty decorative holly berries which are also mildly toxic, however if consumed in large quantities they can be very dangerous especially for young children and pets.
Although the berries are the part that is most commonly eaten, the bark, leaves, and seeds are toxic. Holly contains theobromine an alkaloid that is related to caffeine. This is also to be found in chocolate, but there is much more of the compound in holly berries.

So what can you expect if berries are eaten?

Blurred vision,
Nausea,
Abdominal pain,
Diarrhoea,
Blood pressure changes,
Diarrhoea,
Severe bellyache,
Vomiting

Remember!

Prevention is better than cure. Legally all poisons should be locked away in a secure poisons storage cabinet, but obviously you won’t be doing this with your lovely seasonal decorations. So the best way to prevent possible consumption is to not bring the plants into the house in the first place. But if you must bring them inside, please try to keep out of harm’s way and particularly out of the reach of your pets and children.

Finally have a lovely Christmas and stay safe.

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