26.02.2026 13:00
A couple in Mersin wanted to buy chard from the market. Allegedly, the product they bought as chard turned out to be poisonous nightshade.
Emergency Medicine Specialist Dr. Ayşegül İşlek Yüksel and her husband, Radiology Specialist Dr. Serkan Yüksel, who live in Mersin, went to the village market in the Mezitli district last Saturday afternoon. The couple, who headed towards a stall, allegedly wanted to buy Swiss chard but, suspecting the greens, asked the vendor, "Is this Swiss chard?" After receiving the answer "Yes," they bought some. While washing the greens at home, the couple felt an itch in their hands, but they thought it might be because they were next to nettle. After cooking the greens, Dr. Serkan Yüksel suddenly fell ill. He experienced burning, numbness in his mouth, and swelling of his uvula. Dr. Ayşegül İşlek Yüksel, who intervened with her husband, gave him products to alleviate his complaints. The doctor couple issued important warnings about poisonous plants after the incident.
I BOUGHT IT AS SWISS CHARD, IT TURNED OUT TO BE NETTLE Describing the events, Dr. Ayşegül İşlek Yüksel said, "We experienced a very unfortunate event on Saturday. We have been living in Mersin for 2 years, and we decided to go to the village market for the first time. My husband only likes Swiss chard; he loves sautéed Swiss chard with meat. We bought Swiss chard from a village woman, but I couldn't quite identify it as Swiss chard. I am from Adana, there is another herb that can be confused with Swiss chard, but it is a very poisonous plant. My husband Serkan asked twice, I asked three times. I said, 'Sister, the stems are white, could this be nettle?' She replied, 'These are very fresh, that's why they look like this,' so I exaggerated and bought maybe 2-3 kilos, maybe 5 kilos, a sack. The first thing that came to our minds was correct; I came home, and I was fasting that day. My husband started washing, and we felt an itch in our hands, and there are still some redness. The herb I bought as Swiss chard actually turned out to be nettle," she said.
"IT'S A VERY POISONOUS PLANT, SHOULD NOT BE CONSUMED DIRECTLY" Dr. İşlek Yüksel stated, "It itched a lot while we were washing, but we still can't blame the village aunt because there is nettle next to it; we thought it was itching because of the nettle. Since I was fasting, I first let my husband taste it. He only took a small piece to see if it was cooked. This herb is usually prepared by fermentation, and its poison is removed. It is a very poisonous plant; it should never, ever be consumed directly; it needs to be detoxified. I am an emergency medicine specialist, and despite both of us being doctors, we still didn't understand," she said.
"WE GOT OFF CHEAP" Stating that she immediately provided first aid to her husband and warned the public, Dr. İşlek Yüksel said, "My husband said, 'I feel like I drank bleach directly,' it already itches our skin a lot, and we shouldn't let it touch with bare hands. Mucous membranes are very sensitive and can cause significant irritation. It can swell the uvula, block the airway, and lead to anaphylaxis; it can cause a very deadly allergic reaction. If you have such an exposure, definitely go to the emergency room; it could have ended worse; we got off cheap that day. What I did at home; since it is an acidic plant, I gave basic liquids. First, I immediately put 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a glass of water, mixed it, and made him drink it. I gave him 2 glasses of baking soda water. I gave plain soda; we need to provide alkaline liquids. I gave magnesium sulfate, and we tried to flush it out with basic liquids. His uvula also swelled; thank God we didn't eat it. He spat out a small piece immediately and vomited; thank goodness the children didn't consume it. There are millions of herbs in nature; right now, it's the end of winter, and spring is about to come, please do not consume herbs we do not know," she expressed.
"I RINSED MY MOUTH IMMEDIATELY, THANK GOD WE DIDN'T EAT IT" Dr. Serkan Yüksel, who stated that he only tasted the product, said, "It had long stems and was white. I put it in my mouth and took it out; I didn't swallow it. I felt a burning sensation and itching in my mouth. Especially on my palate, I felt a numbness on my tongue afterward. I rinsed my mouth immediately; we did everything we could with whatever basic substances we could find. Thank God we didn't eat it," he said.