Most Delicious Poison Quotes

“Human use of tobacco began as early as 12,300 years ago, according to recent evidence unearthed from Utah, a few hours' drive north of where the tobacco hornworms that repelled the spiders were studied. Previously, the oldest evidence of tobacco use by Indigenous peoples of the Americas came from pipe residues dating to around 3,300 years ago. As scientists did with ‘Sid’ the Neanderthal, researchers can recover nicotine from the tar­ tar of human teeth discovered in the archaeological record. Tartar from both an Indigenous woman buried around 630 years ago and a man buried 420 years ago not far from where I live in what is now Oakland was positive for nicotine.”
― Noah Whiteman, Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature's Toxins―From Spices to Vices

“artemisinin”
― Noah Whiteman, Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature's Toxins—From Spices to Vices

“toxic chemicals to greet our days (caffeine), titillate our tongues (capsaicin), recover from our surgeries (morphine), cure our infections (penicillin), mend our hearts (digoxin), bend our minds (psilocybin), calm our nerves (cannabinol), spice up our food and drink (myristicin), and enhance our social lives (ethanol).”
― Noah Whiteman, Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature's Toxins—From Spices to Vices