Green, healthy,
sometimes
toxic
Over-consumption of certain toxins in vegetables and fruit could
mar
their wholesome goodness
Medical
literature is replete with the goodness of fruit and vegetables.
Science
credits these food items with nutrients, antioxidants and fibre.
In
fact, there is even medical evidence to suggest that vegetarians live longer.
But is
everything about them good? The world of medicine chooses to turn a
blind
eye to the toxic substances present in them, given their safe-for-consumption
tag. Few know that these toxic substances
could prove fatal if consumed in
large
quantities.
Solanine
is a glycoalkaloid present in vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes and
brinjals.
Genetic factors, exposure to light and bruises sustained during
harvesting
can significantly increase the solanine content in vegetables.
This
substance is usually not perceptible to human taste buds, but a bitter
or
burning sensation should make one suspect the presence of an unusually
high
level of solanine. A small amount of solanine in plants helps them
defend
themselves against fungus, and also has inherent pesticidal properties.
The
National Institutes of Health (NIH), the US health regulatory body, says
potatoes
high in solanine content are green below the skin and should never
be
eaten. The NIH believes its consumption in large quantities by an
expecting
mother results in birth defects.
Cases
of solanine poisoning have also been recorded in history, one of them
in a
UK school.Solanine poisoning causes nausea, vomiting, cramps,
hallucination,
paralysis, jaundice and even death.
Symptoms
usually show within eight to 12 hours of consuming solanine
but
may start as early as within 30 minutes, so potatoes that are green
under
the skin must be avoided. However, the presence of solanine in
tomatoes
and its harmfulness is a matter for debate.
In
1948, erstwhile East Berlin was struck by a bout of food-poisoning,
thought to have been caused by food items
airlifted into the region,
especially
beans.
Beans
contain a toxic substance called lecithin that is capable of making
the
red and white blood cells stick together. Lecithin also gets attached to
the internal lining of the
intestine.Symptoms of abdominal pain and
diarrhea
are manifest within one to three hours of consumption.
Cyanide-like
substances are found in apricots, peaches, bitter almonds
and
bambooshoot. They contain amygdalin, which is converted into cyanide
by the
gastrointestinal track.
Agitation,
confusion, convulsion, disrupted cardiac rhythms, disturbances,
shock and death are known to occur an hour
after consumption.
This
can happen after consuming 20 to 30 apricot kernels or even after
eating
six to 10 bitter almonds.
Oxalic
acid is found in high concentrations in rhubarb, spinach and peanuts.
The
average lethal dose of oxalate is 2 to 30gm. These can be toxic for the
kidney
and lead to hypocalcemia, which may cause convulsions.
Chillies
contain capsaicin. Wilbur Scoville measured the sharpness of
chillies
on a scale known today as the Scoville Scale. Chillies have been
anecdotally
deemed aphrodisiacal, invigorating and anti-bacterial. Capsaicin
finds
use in pepper sprays as well. In large quantities, capsaicin is known to
cause
an elevated blood pressure level.
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ALTAF
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MM10NOV15
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