The ‘suicide tree’ from The White Lotus is real, here’s what it actually does to your body

The finale of The White Lotus season three was a lot. I’ll try and avoid all the spoilers, but we finally found out who died, who had their hands on the gun, and we got resolutions for each of the families. One of the storylines in the final episode of The White Lotus tree was a “suicide tree” that nearly wiped out the entire Ratliff family.

As their time in the Thailand resort wrapped up, father Timothy realised he was going to have to face the music back home. That meant no money and prison time. Not great for someone used to nothing but luxury. So what was his solution to this? Kill his whole family, obviously.

Outside the front of their gorgeous villa was a “suicide tree” given its name because apparently the seeds can kill you. Timothy blended up the seeds, and gave them to his family in a smoothie. He soon came to his senses though, and knocked all the drinks out their hands. However, the next morning, son Lochan made himself a drink using the dirty blender, still containing some of the poison.

Whilst he – only just – didn’t die, it showed the very real effects of the tree. Yes, it’s real!

via HBO

What the ‘suicide tree’ in The White Lotus actually does to your body

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The “suicide tree” in The White Lotus is very much a real thing. The plant is called Cerbera odollam. But, it’s more commonly known as the suicide tree or pong-pong. The tree is native to southeast Asia, and gets its name from the deadly seeds it contains. Dr Masarat Jilani, a doctor who works with bladder care company Jude, told The Tab all about the tree, and what it does.

“The innocent looking ‘suicide tree’ is commonly found in dream holiday destinations such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Kerala. The fruit of the tree contains seeds with a highly toxic compound that primarily targets the heart and cardiovascular system,” they said.

“The toxin disrupts the heart’s electrical signals, which can lead to life-threatening arrhythmias and, in some cases, sudden cardiac arrest. So any accidentally consumption should be taken seriously.

“Although symptoms like nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain are common, as seen in The White Lotus finale, these are the body’s reaction to the toxin rather than evidence of direct damage to the gut. The real danger lies in its impact on the cardiovascular system, which can be fatal if left untreated.”

The seeds of the tree are extremely poisonous due to a compound called cerberin, a potent cardiac glycoside. This compound works in the same way as other cardiac glycosides, by targeting the sodium-potassium ATPase pump in cardiac muscle cells. In short and basic terms, it attacks the heart.

This can cause disruption of the heart’s electrical conduction system and eventually fatal and sudden cardiac arrest. The most common symptoms that the poison has been ingested include chest pain, dizziness, palpitations, and fainting. Even very small doses can prove fatal.

Dr Masarat Jilani told The Tab the main thing to do if you ingest the fruit is to get medical help ASAP. In Thailand, you can call 191 and ask for a doctor. If the operator is unable to speak English, you can call 1155 for the Tourist Police.

Then, explain as clearly as possible what has happened. Whilst Lochan was shown to vomit on The White Lotus and recover, that’s not always the case. Dr Masarat Jilani said to only force vomiting if told to by a medical professional, and if the person does vomit, that doesn’t mean they are necessarily now safe. They will still need to seek help.

The White Lotus is on HBO now. For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook.