Is Yew wood toxic? This question has been around for a long, long time. Pliny is, I believe, the first to have recounted the story that people have died from consuming fluids (in this case, wine) from Yew wood vessels. Since then there have been stories, and some research, but nothing definitive (that I can find) on the issue of the wood itself.
The leaves, and seed, are toxic, and this much is documented in some depth. Sheep and cattle have died as a result of eating these. Humans also, or so it is reported, have become either very ill, or else sadly passed away due to the ingestion of the leaves and seeds…and not all of them knowingly! Why you wish to eat Yew leaves is an entirely different matter!
The toxin which causes the problem is TAXINE, and it is present in the wood, but research online reveals that whilst present in the wood, can be over varying levels depending on a number of factors such as region the tree grows in, soil composition, and the season the tree is felled. But nowhere that I can find has information directly related to using Yew for domestic ware.
Yew is used widely by turners, and heaven knows how many Yew vessels are used for fruit, or eating and drinking from. I know of a fair number, and up until today have been one such.
Some of you may remember the oak coffee mug I turned for the workshop…
Well I still use it, and love the thermal qualities of the wood, and the feel of it. I decided to turn a Yew version some months ago, and have used it ever since, with, I should add, no observable problems to my health or well being.
And then a woodturning club sent me a newsletter with a note about Yew…they had asked a University Professor if Yew was safe as a utility wood…the answer was “NO!” (paraphrased somewhat!). And then a greenwood worker posed the same question on the Bodgers forum and the opinions came in. The consensus seems to be that it is not, but these opinions seem to be based on anecdotal information and half understood science. So what are the answers to the many questions posed? Here are a few questions that might arise out of the debate:
Does Yew wood contain enough TAXINE to be a problem?
Does the toxin remain in the wood forever?
Does it dissipate with time?
Is it soluble in fluids which the wood comes into contact with?
If so, can it be “washed out”?
Can we test for it with any degree of ease?
Does the toxin pass to dry foodstuffs on contact with the wood?
After searching for information I contacted the author of a book on toxicology, and currently am awaiting a reply. My thoughts are that even if I get a response it is likely to be non-committal, and err (naturally) on the side of “best not to just in case”.
And what of the dust from Yew wood? The dust itself is a known problem, although reports suggest that some are more prone to adverse reaction than others, but this is nothing new. But what of the taxine within the dust? Is this a separate problem. Can the toxins in the wood dust pass through the aveoli into the blood stream? Can the toxins “build up” over time to cause a problem many months or years later?
It’s an interesting and potentially dangerous series of questions this whole issue raises, and one I’m keen to work towards answering. So, if you’re a toxicologist reading this (which is a long shot I know!) and have any answers I’d be more than pleased to hear from you.
And as a final aside…
taking all this into account, and discounting the one known case of a very well known UK turner who has eaten from a Yew plate every day for decades, I thought it was perhaps sensible to stop using the Yew mug for now, and picked up the oak mug…but then it occurred tome that oak has another very well know chemical…tannin…so what of tannin? Is it toxic?
There is more written about the toxicity of oak than of Yew from what I can glean. So where does that leave us?
Utility friendly sycamore and beech I think. Tested over many hundreds of years, and known to be safe for food and beverage use.
Good old native white woods.
Turn safely folks.