The toxicity is 68 times that of arsenic! A woman almost died after eating it... Many people love to eat it →

Not long ago, Ms. Wang from Fuzhou, Fujian almost lost her life because of eating peanuts. What exactly happened?

Does eating peanuts cause aflatoxin poisoning?

Recently, Ms. Wang experienced abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and other symptoms and came to the hospital for treatment. The doctor said that when seeing Ms. Wang, her symptoms were similar to those of gastroenteritis, and during the physical examination, the doctor noticed something abnormal in her eyes. Ms. Wang's sclera was yellow, so he considered it to be a liver and gallbladder disease.

As the doctor expected, the blood test results showed that Ms. Wang's transaminase index was ten times that of a normal person, which meant that her liver function was severely damaged. The doctor suspected that Ms. Wang's liver problems were caused by poisoning.

Finally, the doctor found excessive levels of aflatoxin in Ms. Wang's stool and vomit.

It turned out that Ms. Wang ate a bag of peanuts that had been stored for a long time and had gone moldy a day or two before she fell ill, causing acute aflatoxin poisoning.

Incidents like Ms. Wang's, where poisoning occurred due to eating moldy peanuts, are not isolated cases.

On the evening of March 29 this year, Mr. Liu from Hangzhou, Zhejiang, was eating peanuts while watching TV. At 3 a.m., he suddenly woke up with abdominal pain, then vomited and had diarrhea more than ten times, and was taken to a local hospital by his family.

After conducting blood tests, vomit and stool tests on Mr. Liu, the doctor found that Mr. Liu's liver function indicators were more than 200 times higher than normal values. He was diagnosed with aflatoxin poisoning, and he also ate moldy peanuts.

More poisonous than arsenic! Aflatoxin is a metabolite of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, and is one of the most toxic and carcinogenic fungal toxins discovered so far.

At present, about 20 types of aflatoxins and their derivatives have been discovered, among which aflatoxin B1 is the most common. **The World Health Organization has listed aflatoxin as a first-class carcinogen, which is 68 times more toxic than arsenic. **Intake of 1 mg of aflatoxin can cause cancer, and intake of 20 mg of aflatoxin at one time can directly cause death in adults.

Data map (Visual China)

What's more frightening is that aflatoxin is resistant to high temperatures, and its decomposition temperature is 280°C. Therefore, the temperature of daily cooking (100-200°C) can't do anything to it, and don't expect boiling water or cooking with oil to kill it.

Which foods are easily contaminated?

Aflatoxin is not only "toxic", but also widely present in daily life. It likes to "hide" in the following foods and places:

Moldy grains

Grains with high starch content such as rice, millet, corn, and beans.

Moldy peanuts and nuts

Peanuts and nuts are rich in oil, and aflatoxin is soluble in oil, so they are easily infected with aflatoxin.

Low-quality sesame paste

In order to reduce costs, some businesses use braned sesame seeds, shrunken peanuts, or even spoiled sesame seeds and peanuts as raw materials. The spoiled peanuts contain aflatoxin.

Small workshop self-pressing oil

Some peanuts appear normal on the outside, but aflatoxin has appeared inside. The oil pressing machines in small workshops have simple processes and lack the technology to remove harmful substances. They cannot refine the raw materials, and problems such as pesticide residues, heavy metal pollution and the presence of aflatoxin may occur.

Refrigerator that has not been cleaned for a long time

Food may also become moldy if kept in the refrigerator for a long time, and aflatoxin and other bacteria may easily grow in the refrigerator.

Wooden chopping board, wooden chopsticks

Food residues can easily hide in the gaps between chopping boards and chopsticks. If they are not cleaned properly after use, or are left in a damp, dark corner for a long time, they will easily become moldy.

How to prevent the production of aflatoxin? - Deal with moldy food in time

If you find moldy food such as rice, peanuts, nuts, etc. at home, throw them away immediately and do not eat the remaining parts.

Store food properly

Grains, nuts, etc. should be placed in a dry and ventilated place to avoid mold due to improper storage. In addition, do not stockpile excessive food at home to reduce the risk of aflatoxin infection.

Pay attention to kitchen hygiene

Chopsticks, cutting boards and other kitchen utensils should be cleaned promptly and replaced regularly to avoid the growth of bacteria.

It is recommended to avoid eating moldy food and clean dead corners regularly!

Forward reminder