And you say Natural Organic is safer than Factory produced?Read:Toxins/poisons in Natural Foods | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 945580 ![]() 04/17/2010 11:07 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | [link to www.ratbags.com] One of the great myths of alternative medicine and the health food industry is that natural things are better than artificial or synthetic things because natural is natural and Mother Nature wouldn't want to hurt us. Wouldn't she just? Plants and animals have had many millions of years to evolve ways of protecting themselves against predators and competitors for resources. Humans have had about 100,000 years of hunting and gathering to evolve natural resistance and about 10,000 years of agriculture to breed out the nastiness, and these times are just not long enough to make much difference. We are surrounded by plants and animals which can do us great harm if we are not careful about what we eat, and also by a myriad of fungi which delight in making safe foods unsafe. The book is divided into three sections - "Dangers we should worry about but don't", "Things we worry about but need not", and "Things we ought to know". The first section is about the dangers out there which are often ignored because "natural is safe" or simply because people don't know any better. Some of the warnings are well recognised, such as the dangers of rhubarb leaves and anything to do with oleander plants. Others, such as the dangers of moulds, are often ignored because they are secondary to the main event. An example would be a herbal medicine which is harmless if the herbs are kept dry but which can become deadly if it becomes mouldy through bad handling or storage. If you want to be really scared, think about saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin in seafood which can paralyse someone to the point where bystanders think that the they are dead but which leave the victim fully conscious and aware of what is happening. This is the stuff of horror movies. The second section deals with irrational fears about chemicals. Much of the hysteria about genetically-modified foods, additives, preservatives and other ways man interferes with nature is based on ignorance or fear of the unknown. This is not to say that we should not be careful, but if you are eating in an Asian restaurant you probably should be more worried about zearalenone in the corn and chicken soup or aflatoxin in the sate than about the MSG in the sweet and sour sauce. The third section of the book gives a good explanation of how to interpret research and statistics, as well as some good advice about exercise. Some of this book will make you think very carefully about what you put into your mouth and some of it will reassure you, but I recommend it to anyone who wants to find out the reality of food dangers and safety. About the author: Jay Mann is a professional plant biochemist. Since his retirement from Crop and Food CRI in 1993, he has been a consultant, preparing reviews on topics as diverse as ways to lower blood cholesterol, feedstuff composition, chicken flavour, and industrial use of enzymes. Food for people has been a lifelong interest. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 945580 ![]() 04/17/2010 11:09 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | [link to extoxnet.orst.edu] Some Examples of Natural Toxins Each toxin is followed by a short list of some (not all) possible sources Enzyme inhibitors: Cholinesterase inhibitors - in potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant. Protease inhibitors - in raw soybeans Amylase inhibitors - in wheat flour Tannins - in tea, coffee, and cocoa Cyanogenic glycosides - in cassava. Goitrogens (glucosinolates) - in Brassica species: cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc. Lectin proteins (phytohemagglutinins) - in red kidney beans Lathyrogens - in chick peas and vetch Pyrrolizidine alkaloids - in crops contaminated with weeds Antivitamins: Although not toxic per se, the anti-vitamins can cause problems as a result of their interference with the function or absorption of essential nutrients. Anti-thiamin compounds - in mung beans, rice bran, beets, Brussels sprouts Avidin - in raw egg |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 945580 ![]() 04/17/2010 11:10 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Although cancer-causing substances are often thought by the general public to be synthetic, there are numerous carcinogens that occur in nature, and in food plants. (Concon,1988) For example, tannins occur widely in plant foods and we ingest them daily in tea, coffee, and cocoa. Tannic acid has caused liver tumors in experimental animals, and may be linked to esophageal cancer in humans. Cycad plants are important food sources in tropical regions. Cycads contain cycasin and related azoxyglycosides that were found to cause liver and kidney tumors when fed to rats. Safrole, which is a liver carcinogen in rats, is found in sassafras tea, cinnamin, cocoa (trace), nutmeg, and other herbs and spices. Black pepper was found to be carcinogenic to experimental mice. Pyperadine and alpha-Methylpyrroline are secondary amines in black pepper which can be nitrosated to N-nitrosopiperadine, a strong carcinogen. Although not of plant origin, heterocyclic amines in cooked meats have been associated with stomach and other cancer formation. Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A are natural toxins made by fungal food contaminants that also cause cancer in animals and humans. Some scientists maintain that research and regulatory resources have been too focussed on the problem of pesticide residues in food as potential carcinogens, while ignoring the problem of natural carcinogens. Perhaps the most well-known proponent of this opinion is Dr. Bruce Ames. Click here for a summary: POLLUTION, PESTICIDES, AND CANCER: MISCONCEPTIONS. Bruce N. Ames and Lois S. Gold. How much do natural plant carcinogens contribute to the incidence of cancer in human populations? The answer is still unknown, but the National Research Council has reported that excess calories pose more of a cancer threat than natural or synthetic carcinogens in food. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 945580 ![]() 04/17/2010 11:11 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |