Plants and animals generally produce toxins naturally as defense mechanisms to protect them from environmental stresses and predators. Plant products or animals with a higher amount of toxins are not used as food. For an instance, though castor seeds contain high amount of fat, but it is not used as a food as it contains a toxin called as Ricin. However, there can be chemicals that can cause various abnormal conditions to humans in minute quantities. These harmful chemicals can be categorized as mutagens, teratogens, antinutrients, carcinogens, physiological irritants. These chemicals can cause negative impacts on health in long term ingestion. Effects from these chemicals can be enhanced when ingested by people with metabolic errors which are genetically inherited and when large quantities are ingested.
Lactose is a disaccharide present in milk that is known as the milk sugar. Some people who have difficulties in digesting lactose develop lactose intolerance which results from breaking down of lactose by intestinal micro flora producing acid and gas. Lactose free milk is commercially available to such people. Fructose intolerance results from incapability to digest fructose which is less common to lactose intolerance. People with Celiac disease cannot digest gluten which is a major constituent in wheat. Gluten causes internal hemorrhages producing bloody stools. Galactocemia, Phenylketonuria, Hemochromatosis, Wilson’s disease are some other diseases results in metabolism errors.
Food allergy is an immunological response caused when a foreign body is entered into the body and the immune system produce antibodies. In this situation, body recognizes the food constituent as a foreign body. Major allergenic food groups include milk, wheat, nuts, egg, meat/fish/shellfish, soy and peanuts. Prominently, the proteins in these foods are responsible for allergic reactions.
Protease inhibitors are a common type of plant toxins which are rich in legumes and cereals. By inhibiting these enzymes, these toxins make the specific proteins less available. Most of these protease inhibitors are heat labile. In contrast, some of these enzyme inhibitors are known to suppress tumor growth. Hemagglutinins and lectins present in high amounts in legumes and grains. Lectins are known to promote blood clotting, damage gut epithelium leading to local hemorrhages and kidney damage. Lectins also possess anticarcinogenic properties. Saponins found in soybean, spinach are another toxin with hemolytic effect. Vicine and covicine present in fava beans lead to a condition called favism which is developed in oversensitive people. This oversensitivity hereditary and controlled by a sex linked gene commonly occurs in Afro-Americans, Africans. Skeletal abnormalities results from altered metabolism in connective tissue due to Lathyrogens present in sweet pea, which are chemically unusual amino acids. Glucosinolates found in vegetables of Cruciferacea family promotes hypo and hyper thyroidism conditions.
Cyanogenic glucosides are another group of toxins which yields Hydrogen cyanide upon exposure to gastric acids and plant enzymes. Hydrogen cyanide is a potent respiratory inhibitor and arrests the cellular respiration very efficiently. Cyanogenic glucosides are commonly found in sorghum, almonds, cassava, lima beans, peach seeds etc. This is a major problem in countries where cassava is the staple food. Cyanide can potentially destroy the β cells of pancreas. Bitter varieties of cassava contain higher amount of these toxins.
Phytic acid is a naturally present metal binder which reduces the availability of metal ions. Phytic acid is a simple sugar with many phosphate groups attached. These phosphate groups can bind to multivalent cations. When metal ions are bound with phytates, they become unavailable. Phytic acid is present in wheat. In countries that consume wheat in large quantities, fertility of males is reduced as Zink ions are made unavailable.
Germinating potatoes contain eyes with greenish areas which contain certain amount of solarine. Solarine is a carcinogen. Mushrooms are well known for food intoxications. Mushrooms like Amanita contains deadly toxins called Amanita toxins.
Apart from plant toxins, fish toxins are important. Paralytic shellfish poisoning results from a toxin produced by dinoflagellates belongs to Saxitoxins. This is a heat stable neurotoxin which blocks the entry of Sodium ions into nerve cells. Diarrheal shellfish poisoning is commonly seen in Europe, Latin America and Japan developed as a result of Okadaic acid from dinoflagellates. Ciguatera toxicity is most injurious from public health and economic stand point. The toxicity is due to toxins produced by a marine algae; Gambierdiscus toxicus. This fat soluble toxin is heat stable and causes paralysis and death.
These naturally present toxins are difficult to eliminate. It is important to destroy the possible toxins by using proper cooking methods.
Lactose is a disaccharide present in milk that is known as the milk sugar. Some people who have difficulties in digesting lactose develop lactose intolerance which results from breaking down of lactose by intestinal micro flora producing acid and gas. Lactose free milk is commercially available to such people. Fructose intolerance results from incapability to digest fructose which is less common to lactose intolerance. People with Celiac disease cannot digest gluten which is a major constituent in wheat. Gluten causes internal hemorrhages producing bloody stools. Galactocemia, Phenylketonuria, Hemochromatosis, Wilson’s disease are some other diseases results in metabolism errors.
Food allergy is an immunological response caused when a foreign body is entered into the body and the immune system produce antibodies. In this situation, body recognizes the food constituent as a foreign body. Major allergenic food groups include milk, wheat, nuts, egg, meat/fish/shellfish, soy and peanuts. Prominently, the proteins in these foods are responsible for allergic reactions.
Protease inhibitors are a common type of plant toxins which are rich in legumes and cereals. By inhibiting these enzymes, these toxins make the specific proteins less available. Most of these protease inhibitors are heat labile. In contrast, some of these enzyme inhibitors are known to suppress tumor growth. Hemagglutinins and lectins present in high amounts in legumes and grains. Lectins are known to promote blood clotting, damage gut epithelium leading to local hemorrhages and kidney damage. Lectins also possess anticarcinogenic properties. Saponins found in soybean, spinach are another toxin with hemolytic effect. Vicine and covicine present in fava beans lead to a condition called favism which is developed in oversensitive people. This oversensitivity hereditary and controlled by a sex linked gene commonly occurs in Afro-Americans, Africans. Skeletal abnormalities results from altered metabolism in connective tissue due to Lathyrogens present in sweet pea, which are chemically unusual amino acids. Glucosinolates found in vegetables of Cruciferacea family promotes hypo and hyper thyroidism conditions.
Cyanogenic glucosides are another group of toxins which yields Hydrogen cyanide upon exposure to gastric acids and plant enzymes. Hydrogen cyanide is a potent respiratory inhibitor and arrests the cellular respiration very efficiently. Cyanogenic glucosides are commonly found in sorghum, almonds, cassava, lima beans, peach seeds etc. This is a major problem in countries where cassava is the staple food. Cyanide can potentially destroy the β cells of pancreas. Bitter varieties of cassava contain higher amount of these toxins.
Phytic acid is a naturally present metal binder which reduces the availability of metal ions. Phytic acid is a simple sugar with many phosphate groups attached. These phosphate groups can bind to multivalent cations. When metal ions are bound with phytates, they become unavailable. Phytic acid is present in wheat. In countries that consume wheat in large quantities, fertility of males is reduced as Zink ions are made unavailable.
Germinating potatoes contain eyes with greenish areas which contain certain amount of solarine. Solarine is a carcinogen. Mushrooms are well known for food intoxications. Mushrooms like Amanita contains deadly toxins called Amanita toxins.
Apart from plant toxins, fish toxins are important. Paralytic shellfish poisoning results from a toxin produced by dinoflagellates belongs to Saxitoxins. This is a heat stable neurotoxin which blocks the entry of Sodium ions into nerve cells. Diarrheal shellfish poisoning is commonly seen in Europe, Latin America and Japan developed as a result of Okadaic acid from dinoflagellates. Ciguatera toxicity is most injurious from public health and economic stand point. The toxicity is due to toxins produced by a marine algae; Gambierdiscus toxicus. This fat soluble toxin is heat stable and causes paralysis and death.
These naturally present toxins are difficult to eliminate. It is important to destroy the possible toxins by using proper cooking methods.
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