Witchcraft or simply the adverse effects of consuming rye?

Rye has the unique potential to be infected with a parasitic fungus, Claviceps purpurea, that produces a human toxin called ergotamine. When ingested via, say, a loaf of rye bread, it exerts a range of hallucinogenic effects on humans, partly because it is converted to lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD. History is filled with fascinating and terrifying stories of humans exposed to rye and ergotamine. Because some victims afflicted with contaminated rye experienced an intense dermatitis (skin inflammation), the condition became known as St. Anthony’s Fire, named after the early 11th-century sanctuary operated by monks to treat victims of ergot poisoning. During the Middle Ages, writers described hysterical outbursts afflicting previously normal people, including thrashing and writhing while shouting, “I’m burning!” The afflicted would eventually collapse, after which their bodies would blacken. And at least one observer has ascribed the madness of the Salem witch trials to ergotamine poisoning after determining that many of the 19 young women accused of being witches lived near a rye field. A “witch cake” made of rye flour was fed to a dog to confirm a “bewitching” effect. The rye itself was, of course, entirely innocent, since it was the common parasitic infestation of the grass that was to blame. But, as with so many other matters surrounding the relationship between the seeds of grasses and the hapless humans who try to consume them, it shoul...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Rye Undoctored Wheat Belly Lifestyle blood sugar Dr. Davis Gliadin gluten gluten-free grain-free Wheat Belly Total Health Source Type: blogs