5 Natural Toxins in Food

The toxins in food are not limited to man made chemicals. There are several natural toxins which are found in whole foods like grains and beans. Some of these toxins can be neutralized through the proper preparation techniques of soaking, fermenting or cooking the food substance. Others are poisonous in any form. Here are 5 of the most common natural food toxins:

1. Aflatoxin: a carcinogenic toxin which is produced by the Aspergillus flavus fungus. This fungus can contaminate foods such as grain, nuts and legumes such as peanuts. Aflatoxin-producing members of Aspergillus are common and widespread in nature. They can contaminate grain before harvest or during storage. Aspergillus lives in the soil, decaying plants, hay, and rancid grains and nuts. Crops which are frequently infected include grains such as corn, sorghum, pearl millet, rice, and wheat, oilseeds such as peanuts, soybeans, and sunflower seeds, spices including chile peppers, black pepper, coriander, and turmeric and tree nuts including almonds, pistachios, walnuts, coconuts, and brazil nuts. The toxin can also be found in the milk of animals which are fed contaminated feed. Virtually all sources of commercial peanut butter contain minute quantities of aflatoxin, but it is usually far below the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recommended safe level.
2. Ergot: a toxin produced when the Claviceps Purpurea mold infects rye and other grains. In medieval times, outbreaks of the disease "ergotism" were common and known as St. Anthony's fire. The name was in reference the severe burning sensations in the limbs caused by vasoconstriction of blood vessels. The vasoconstriction sometimes resulted in gangrene and loss of limbs due to severely restricted blood circulation. The neurological symptoms of an ergot infection included hallucinations and irrational behavior, convulsions, and death.
3. Lectins: toxic protein compounds found in most foods, but in heavy amounts in many seeds, grains and legumes. Large amounts of lectins can damage the heart, kidneys and liver, lower blood clotting ability, destroy the lining of the intestines, and inhibit cell division. Cooking neutralizes lectins to some extent, and digestive juices further destroy them. People living at high altitudes, where water boils well below 212 degrees should cook lectin containing foods in pressure cookers to avoid lectin poisoning. Lectin toxins in food are found in: grains, especially wheat and wheat germ but also quinoa, rice, buckwheat, oats, rye, barley, millet and corn, and all products made from them (oils, vinegars, alcohols, flours, etc..). Lectins are also found in legumes (all dried beans, including soy and peanuts and the products made from them), dairy foods, if the cows producing the milk are fed grains instead of grass (this would include most commercial milk products), and plants in the Nightshade family, including potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. The lethal toxin Ricin is made from castor beans, which contain large quantities of a particularly deadly lectin. Raw black beans contain enough lectins to kill rats in one week.
4. Phytates and Phytic acid: compounds found in many foods, but especially soybeans, whole wheat and rye. In the human gut, phytic acid acts as an anti-nutrient. It reduces the absorption of valuable minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc by binding the minerals into an insoluble salt. Relatively high concentrations of phytic acid occur in the following foods: whole grain cereal foods (wheat, rye, rice, oats), nuts and seeds, soybeans, other types of beans, potatoes, artichokes, blackberries, broccoli, carrots, figs, green beans and strawberries. Soaking or sprouting the grain foods will neutralize much of the phytic acid, except in soybeans, which must be cooked for more than 10 hours at very high temperatures to remove the anti-nutrients.
5. Solanines: a toxic alkaloid found in high concentrations in the green patches on and just under potato skins and eyes. They are also found in tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Solanine has both fungicidal and pesticidal properties, and it is one of the plant's natural defenses. The human body converts solanines into a poison called solanidine. Solanine poisoning is primarily displayed by gastrointestinal and neurological disorders. Symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, burning of the throat, heart arrhythmia, headache and dizziness. Hallucinations, loss of sensation, paralysis, fever, jaundice, dilated pupils and hypothermia have been reported in more severe cases.

When raw potatoes turn green--primarily from exposure to light--their solanine levels can reach 80 to 100 milligrams. You can keep solanine content under the recommended limit of 20 milligrams by storing potatoes in a cool, dry, dark place--conditions that are not conducive to greening. If your potatoes do green up, peel the skins and shoots in which the solanines concentrate.

Ellen Davis researches nutrition and health issues and shares that information with other health conscious consumers. You can find more alternative information about nutrition and health at her website Healthy Eating Politics. The URL is http://www.healthy-eating-politics.com

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