On 23 Jan, 20:42, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
I thought that my remark was quite clear! *To paraphrase, I don't know.
To cut a long story short, there is good evidence that making a meal
of the berries might harm you (and Culpeper says just that), but
precious little detail beyond vague weebling about saponins. *Given
that several of our common foods and spices are poisonous in
overdose, what do YOU think?

Yes, like you I've heard that saponic glycoside is in the berries and
leaves and that its toxicity is rated 'Low'. Also the berries are
beleived to be more dangerous green than black. It's true that there's
very little about it. I had never noticed. All my books rate the
toxicity but don't give any potion/recipes making or interesting facts
about it. But beside this I never heard anything else nor did I read
anything about eating them when they are so available! I've heard that
Pliny did hangover cure with the leaves and one of my books by Lesley
Bremnes mentions that cosmetic products use hedera. Birds eating the
berries also don't taste as nice when eaten themselves - perhaps a bit
bitter? I think I'm going to look closer at it and will let you know.

I therefore would think that we shouldn't eat them. And I wouldn't try
- that is until I've found a bit more about it ;o)