Colors are widely used to convey important information. We know that red often means “stop” or “hot,” and green means “go.” But have you ever wondered which colors found in nature are the most harmful, even deadly?

Historically, humans have not been able to resist the luminosity of some pigments, unaware or dismissive of their properties. Much later we learned that primarily three of these colors had dangerous effects on the body. Once added to food, jewelry, and other products, these colors caused a number of ailments including painter’s colic, radiation poisoning, and death.