The dose makes the poison

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{{Ctransquote|All things are poisons; there are none that are not a poisons. Only the dose makes something a poison.|German|Wenn ihr jedes Gift recht auslegen wollt, was ist, das nit Gift ist? Alle Dinge sind Gift, und nichts ist ohne Gift; allein die dosis machts, daß ein Ding kein Gift sei.|||{{wpl|Paracelsus}}<ref>[http://www.zeno.org/nid/20009261362 Die dritte Defension wegen des Schreibens der neuen Rezepte] by Paracelsus, ''Zeno.org''.</ref>}}
{{cquote|Plants are not just food for animals, and animals are not just decorations on the vegetation. The world is not green. It is colored lectin, tannin, cyanide, [[caffeine]], aflatoxin, and canavanine. And there is a lot of cellulose thrown in to make the mix even more inedible. Animals are not ambulatory bomb calorimeters. They starve, they ache, they [[Abortion|abort]], they vomit, they remember, they [[Death|die]], and they [[evolve]].|||Daniel H. Janzen<ref>[http://www.jstor.org/stable/2395296 Promising Directions of Study in Tropical Animal-Plant Interactions] Daniel H. Janzen, ''Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden'' Vol. 64, No. 4, Perspectives in Tropical Botany (1977), pp. 706-736.</ref>}}
'''The dose makes the poison''' is a phrase that refers to the fact that whether a substance causes toxic effects depends on how much of it is taken. A "toxic" substance is harmless if taken in small enough quantities, and a "harmless" one can be poisonous if taken in large enough quantities. For instance, despite cinnamon being a commonplace and wildly popular spice, consuming too much can potentially cause liver damage because of the coumarin content. Similarly, water intake is essential for survival, but overhydration is still lethal (not to mention drowning). The same principle applies to any other substance. Therefore, a "poison" is something that kills in an arbitrarily short time when an arbitrarily low quantity of it is used.

==Examples==
===Dietary "poisons"===
[[File:SAS_-_Dose_Makes_The_Poison.png|thumb|right|Toxins in everyday foods]]
Pure acetic acid can cause severe burns and many other issues, but humans consume small amounts of acetic acid all the time in vinegar.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180214204514/http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9922769 Material Safety Data Sheet: Acetic acid MSDS] ''ScienceLab.com'' (archived from February 14, 2018).</ref>

One chemical used for rust removal and metal cleaning can cause respiratory and skin irritation, as well as severe damage to the eyes. It's hazardous and classified as a poison.<ref name=msds>[https://archive.is/wip/UIEpx Material Safety Data Sheet: Oxalic Acid] ''Scribd'' (archived from 15 Oct 2024 02:18:58 UTC).</ref> When ingested, it can cause "a severe burning pain of the mouth, throat and stomach followed by profuse vomiting (sometimes bloody). Small doses of oxalate in the body can cause headache, pain and twitching in muscles, and cramps. Larger doses can cause weak and irregular heartbeat, drop in blood pressure and signs of heart failure. Large doses rapidly cause a shock-like state, convulsions, coma and possibly death."<ref name=msds/> This substance is found naturally in ''many'' common vegetables, including broccoli, spinach, rhubarb, beets, onions, carrots, celery, cucumbers, peas, tomatoes, and potatoes.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130317150639/http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=9444 Oxalic Acid Content of Selected Vegetables] ''USDA'' (archived from March 17, 2013).</ref> It's oxalic acid. Indeed, eating too many oxalic-acid-containing foods can cause kidney stones.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170313174314/https://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/kidney-stones Kidney stones] ''University of Maryland Medical Center'' (archived from March 13, 2017).</ref> Sorry, kids, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't eat your vegetables. 

[[Antivaxxers]] often call out vaccines because they contain formaldehyde, which is a carcinogen. However, the amount of formaldehyde in a vaccine is much lower than that produced naturally by the body;<ref>[http://www.lung.org/healthy-air/home/resources/formaldehyde.html Formaldehyde] ''American Lung Association''.</ref> the quantity of formaldehyde in vaccines is 1% that found in the human body.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170405003115/http://www.fda.gov/biologicsbloodvaccines/scienceresearch/ucm349473.htm FDA study reinforces no safety concerns from residual formaldehyde in some infant vaccines] ''U.S. Food & Drug Administration'' (archived from April 5, 2017).</ref> In addition, many foods (including pears, apples, cabbages, carrots, green onions, spinach, tomatoes, fish, cheese, and [[milk]]) naturally contain trace amounts of formaldehyde.<ref>[http://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc89.htm Environmental Health Criteria 89: Formaldehyde] ''IPCS INCHEM''.</ref><ref>[http://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_fa/files/formaldehyde.pdf Foods Known to Contain Naturally Occurring Formaldehyde] ''Center for Food Safety, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region''.</ref>

Nicotine is found in a number of vegetables, including tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers.<ref>[http://www.vidarholen.net/contents/junk/nicotine.html The nicotine contents of vegetables] ''Vidar Holen''.</ref> The notion that tomatoes don't kill you because they contain [[Appeal to nature|"natural"]] nicotine cannot possibly apply, because the most well-known source of nicotine, [[tobacco]], is also perfectly natural. The extremely small quantity of nicotine found in food may prevent Parkinson's diseasee,<ref>[http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130509/Nicotine-in-peppers-and-tomatoes-may-provide-protective-effect-against-Parkinsons-disease.aspx Nicotine in peppers and tomatoes may provide protective effect against Parkinson's disease] (May 9, 2013) ''News Medical''.</ref> and so be good for you, which demonstrates that even a poisonous substance can be beneficial at lower doses.

Foods containing carcinogenic compounds include, but are not limited to, cocoa, celery, cinnamon, parsley, carrots, peaches, pineapples, mushrooms, turnips, and even broccoli.<ref>[https://thomas-slone.org/cpdb/pdfs/Science1992.pdf Rodent Carcinogens: Setting Priorities] by Lois Swirsky Gold et al. (1992) ''Science'' 258:261-265.</ref>

One substance which has been described as being "very toxic even in small quantities" can cause gastrointestinal and neurological disorders, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, burning of the throat, headaches, dizziness, hallucinations, loss of sensation, paralysis, fever, jaundice, dilated pupils and hypothermia; in large quantities, it may cause death.<ref name=solaninemedline>[https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002875.htm Potato plant poisoning - green tubers and sprouts] ''MedlinePlus 25''.</ref><ref>[http://www.food-info.net/uk/qa/qa-fp95.htm What is solanine and is it toxic?] ''Food-Info''.</ref><ref name=smithsonian>[http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/horrific-tales-of-potatoes-that-caused-mass-sickness-and-even-death-3162870/?no-ist Horrific Tales of Potatoes That Caused Mass Sickness and Even Death: A greened potato indicates the presence of a toxin that can cause gastrointestinal distress, induce coma or even death within 24 hours of consumption] by K. Annabelle Smith (October 21, 2013) ''Smithsonian Magazine''.</ref> The substance in question is solanine, and is found in potatoes. And before you ask: yes, potatoes can cause solanine poisoning.<ref name=smithsonian/> Tomatoes, paprika, eggplants, peppers, blueberries, apples, cherries, sugar beets, huckleberries, okra, and artichokes also contain solanine.<ref name=potatoSBM>[http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/killer-tomatoes-and-poisonous-potatoes/ Killer Tomatoes and Poisonous Potatoes?] by Harriet Hall (February 14, 2012) ''Science-Based Medicine''.</ref>

Vitamin A is essential for proper functioning of the human body. But too much can cause liver damage, as well as other problems. In fact, the material safety data sheets for various forms of vitamin A<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150416212512/http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9924809 Material Safety Data Sheet: Vitamin A MSDS] ''Science Lab'' (archived from April 16, 2015).</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150416212524/http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9925423 Material Safety Data Sheet: Vitamin A acetate MSDS] ''Science Lab'' (archived from March 26, 2018).</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150416212519/http://www.aako.nl/uploads/bestanden/97030d64-77bb-4714-b12e-9df21ac45fa2/popup Material Safety Data Sheet: Vitamin A Palmitate] ''AAKO'' (archived from April 16, 2015).</ref><ref>[http://www.spectrumchemical.com/MSDS/r0037.pdf Material Safety Data Sheet: all-trans-Retinal] ''Spectrum Chemical'' (archived from April 15, 2015).</ref> look pretty scary, and (with their descriptions of animal carcinogenicity, skin irritation, etc.) make them sound like things you'd want to keep away from your body at all costs. If you didn't know beforehand what the chemicals in question were, you'd think they were hazardous poisons (and, indeed, they are, like oxalic acid, described as "hazardous"). If the dose did ''not'' make the poison, you'd have to stay away from [[Breatharianism|pretty much every food ever]].

Many health scares revolve around the presence of a "toxic" compound in a product, such as [[thiomersal]] in vaccines. The [[Fun:Dihydrogen monoxide|DHMO]] [[hoax]] parodied [[Chemophobia|chemophobic]] [[fear-mongering]] by listing many scary facts about [[water]], which was referred to by the name "dihydrogen monoxide" (or DHMO). A possible description of water could go along the lines of: "Dihydrogen monoxide can be fatal when inhaled, and forcing people to inhale DHMO is a widely used form of [[torture]]. You may not know this, but the air is full of DHMO, which you are constantly breathing in. The chemical is constantly poisoning you every day."

Drinking too much water can be fatal, but receiving minute amounts of [[Botox]]&nbsp;— made from the [[Irony|natural]] botulinum toxin, the most toxic substance currently known<ref>[https://www.livescience.com/chemistry/what-is-the-worlds-most-dangerous-chemical What is the world's most dangerous chemical?] by Victoria Atkinson (July 6, 2024) ''Live Science''.</ref>&nbsp;— is not. [[Ironic]]ally, [[Jenny McCarthy]] campaigns against [[vaccines]] because of the "poisons" contained in them, yet she has used Botox repeatedly.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2135749/Jenny-McCarthy-reveals-forehead-Botox-shots-secret-youthful-looks.html 'I love it!': Jenny McCarthy reveals Botox is the secret to her youthful looks] by Mike Larkin (Updated: 02:46 EDT, 27 April 2012) ''Daily Mail''.</ref>

Proponents of [[organic]] produce point out the fact that it has less pesticide residue than conventional food, but both kinds contain a safe amount, and organic food is not significantly different from ordinary food.<ref>[http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/organic.html "Organic" Foods: Certification Does Not Protect Consumers] by Stephen Barret (August 22, 2019) ''Quackwatch''.</ref>

==Exceptions==
Some heavy metals, particularly [[lead]], can accumulate in the body over time. Current wisdom is that there is no safe level of environmental lead exposure.<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2533151/ Low Level Environmental Lead Exposure – A Continuing Challenge] by Enrico Rossi (2008) ''The Clinical biochemist. Reviews / Australian Association of Clinical Biochemists'' 29(2):63–70.</ref>

In the case of [[drugs]], taking small dosages too often can cause the body to develop a tolerance, which would mean that more would be needed to achieve the desired effect (such as pain relief in the case of painkillers) and therefore cause the person to end up taking an unsafe amount.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180730233436/http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/teaching-packets/neurobiology-drug-addiction/section-iii-action-heroin-morphine/6-definition-tolerance The Neurobiology of Drug Addiction. 6: Definition of tolerance] (January 2007) ''National Institute on Drug Abuse'' (archived from July 30, 2018).</ref> Conversely, in the case of [[arsenic]], low-level consumption over time in an individual can cause tolerance to the point where erstwhile lethal amounts can be consumed without dying.<ref>[https://sites.dartmouth.edu/toxmetal/arsenic/the-facts-on-arsenic/ The Facts on Arsenic] ''Dartmouth Toxic Metals''.</ref>

Another important exception to the rule is [[alcohol]]. Despite any potential benefits of low-to-moderate alcohol consumption, medical institutions have failed to find any "safe" level of alcohol consumption; although consuming alcohol in smaller amounts lessens the risk of cancer, there is no threshold below which the consumption of alcohol has no carcinogenic effects.<ref>[https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health] (4 January 2023) ''World Health Organization''.</ref>

==Appropriation by experts for hire==
An example of an unscrupulous application of this ancient adage was provided by perhaps the tobacco [[lobby]]'s favourite [[expert for hire]], [[S. Fred Singer]], in his disinformation campaign against the dangers of [[second-hand smoke]]. Alongside another expert for hire, Kent Jeffreys,{{efn|Affiliated with the Alexis de Tocqueville Institute, the [[Cato Institute]], and the [[Competitive Enterprise Institute]], Jeffreys had also been involved in [[Ozone layer##Ozone depletion denialism|Ozone depletion denialism]].<ref name=oreskes>''Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming'' by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway (2011) Bloomsbury Press. ISBN 1608193942.</ref>{{rp|135,152-153}}}} Singer claimed that because the dose makes the poison, the [[Environmental Protection Agency]] had to focus on the [[Linear no-threshold|threshold effect]] of second hand smoke and not on its quite obvious harmful effects. Thus, any recommendation on, let alone actions against second hand smoke should be postponed pending the results of research into threshold effects. This was a classic example of [[FUD|the muddying the waters and delaying actions]] that Singer and his [[astroturfing]] [[The Advancement of Sound Science Center|front organizations]] pioneered.<ref name=oreskes/>

{{anchor|Proposition 65}}
==1986 California Proposition 65, or ignoring the dose making the poison==
[[File:Prop 65 warning.jpg|thumb|right|165px|A Proposition 65 at a gas pump… yawn!]]
Proposition 65 was a ballot measure that passed by 63% to 37% in 1986 and became the law in [[California]]. The law states:<ref>[https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&division=20.&title&part&chapter=6.6.&article Health and Safety Code - HSC
DIVISION 20. MISCELLANEOUS HEALTH AND SAFETY PROVISIONS <nowiki>[24000 - 26275]</nowiki>] ''California Legislative Information''.</ref>
{{cquote|No person in the course of doing business shall knowingly discharge or release a chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity into water or onto or into land where such chemical passes or probably will pass into any source of drinking water, notwithstanding any other provision or authorization of law except as provided in Section 25249.9.

25249.6. Required Warning Before Exposure To Chemicals Known to Cause Cancer Or Reproductive Toxicity. No person in the course of doing business shall knowingly and intentionally expose any individual to a chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity without first giving clear and reasonable warning to such individual…}}
The law went further than the already existing Federal Clean Water Act of 1972,<ref>[https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act Summary of the Clean Water Act] ''United States Environmental Protection Agency''.</ref> but notably Proposition 65 did not specify any minimum threshold for chemicals (thus falsely implying that the dose does ''not'' make the poison). The result of having no threshold was a proliferation of warning signs on virtually every California gas pump, retail store, even apartment complex and many products, simply to avoid lawsuits, but no other change in behavior.<ref name=mclean>[https://www.sfgate.com/california/article/why-everything-california-gives-you-cancer-19824127.php The ridiculed, 37-year-old Calif. law that's changing business across the globe] by Tessa McLean (Oct 14, 2024) ''SFGate''.</ref><ref name=mohan>[https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-07-23/prop-65-product-warnings You see the warnings everywhere. But does Prop. 65 really protect you?] by Geoffrey Mohan (July 23, 2020
6 AM) ''Los Angeles Times''.</ref> The proliferation of warning signs has been analyzed as a "wolf or puppy" warning: so many warnings about non-hazards numb people to warnings about actual hazards.<ref>[https://www.hks.harvard.edu/publications/efficient-warnings-not-wolf-or-puppy-warnings Efficient Warnings, Not “Wolf or Puppy”] by Lisa A. Robinson et al. (September 2016) ''HKS Faculty Research Working Paper Series''. RWP16-033.</ref>

[[File:Jane Fonda, Morgan Fairchild and Michael J. Fox at Prop 65 rally.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Yay! Celebrities got what they wanted… until they didn't like the results.]]
The campaign was notably supported by a large group of [[Hollywood]] celebrities, some of whom spread [[FUD|inflammatory falsehoods]], one of the worst was Whoopi Goldberg's "The bottom line is that [[Think of the children|your children are going to die]]!"<ref name=mclean/> The backers did not actually expect the proposition to pass but were using it as a (failed) vehicle to get their candidate elected as governor.<ref name=mohan/> After the proposition did pass, its backers were generally unhappy with the results: David Roe (one of the drafters) said, "From my perspective, every warning is a failure."<ref name=mohan/>

A rare victory against the inanity of Proposition 65 was the [[Coffee#California's Proposition 65|rejection of the requirement for warning labels on coffee]].

==See also==
*[[Dihydrogen monoxide]]
*[[E number]]
*[[Homeopathy]]
*[[Median lethal dose]]
*[[Precautionary principle]]
*[[Toxin]]

==External links==
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2001/sep/06/medicalscience.healthandwellbeing Everything gives you cancer]
*[https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/12/here-are-the-intriguing-toxins-that-spice-up-our-favorite-holiday-dishes/ Here are the intriguing toxins that spice up our favorite holiday dishes], Ars Technica

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dose makes the poison}}
[[category:Food]]
[[Category:Drugs]]
[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Clichéed sayings]]

Categories: Food, Drugs, Medicine, Clichéed sayings