Can eating coriander help resist aflatoxin? Nutritionist: Don’t trust folk remedies, here are 3 tips to stay away from aflatoxin

Most people know that excessive intake of aflatoxin can cause harm to the body, and peanut butter is prone to contain aflatoxin, which causes consumers to panic. There is a rumor circulating on the Internet: "Eating coriander and other foods can detoxify aflatoxin." Is this true? Nutritionist Wang Zinan said that taking folk remedies to detoxify is putting the cart before the horse, and the correct idea is not to ingest toxins. It is recommended that people pay attention to the origin label and production date when purchasing peanut products, and especially for storage, they should be kept cool and dry to avoid the spread of aflatoxin.

Nutritionist Wang Zinan pointed out that aflatoxin is a highly hepatotoxic and carcinogenic substance, which is often associated with moldy food. The cause of its occurrence is often improper transportation, storage and processing methods after the agricultural products are harvested, which leads to the production of aflatoxin due to the effects of temperature and humidity.

Aflatoxin is hepatotoxic and carcinogenic

According to the standards of the Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the aflatoxin content in peanut butter and its products must not exceed 15ppb. If a large amount of food contaminated with aflatoxin is consumed, the body will suffer from acute liver poisoning and may even experience vomiting, abdominal pain, pulmonary edema, convulsions, coma, or liver, kidney, or heart failure, and in severe cases, death.

If you consume a large amount of food contaminated with aflatoxin, your body will suffer from acute liver poisoning and even vomiting.

There are many detoxification remedies on the Internet, but they are not very reliable

Although it has been circulated on the Internet recently that eating coriander, basil, carrot leaves, high-protein foods or taking vitamin B complex, C, K, etc. can eliminate aflatoxin, in terms of the functions of ingredients such as basil, coriander, celery, etc., at most they are vegetables rich in different plant chemicals that can enhance the body's antioxidant capacity, but cannot reduce the absorption of aflatoxin.

In addition, analyzing the nutritional components of food, carrot leaves have no special therapeutic effects, and other vegetables have the same nutrients. Supplementing with high-protein foods not only fails to eliminate aflatoxin, but may cause a burden on the liver and kidneys. The effects of vitamins B group, C, and K are to participate in energy metabolism or maintain normal physiological functions, but cannot decompose toxicity.

Carrot leaves do not have any special therapeutic effects, and other vegetables have the same nutrients. Supplementing high-protein foods not only has no effect on eliminating aflatoxin, but may also cause burden on the liver and kidneys.

Nutritionist Wang Zinan emphasized that many common food ingredients may be contaminated by aflatoxin. In addition to peanuts, cereals such as rice and corn, nuts such as almonds and cashews, and beans that are indispensable in daily life are all frequent visitors of aflatoxin. Therefore, it is recommended that attention should be paid to storage and reducing the intake of toxins is the key.

3 tips to stay away from aflatoxin

1. The origin is clearly marked:

It is best to choose fresh products with complete packaging. Also pay attention to the source of the ingredients. For peanut products, it is best to choose products with a production and sales history or a transparent and open harvesting and processing process, because Taiwan’s hot and humid environment is a favorite of Aflatoxin, which can easily produce toxins during storage and transportation.

2. Small packages are good for sharing:

When purchasing, try to choose small-packaged products that can be eaten in one go. If you cannot finish the food, pay attention to the shelf life. You can store it at low temperatures after dividing it into packages to reduce the changes in temperature and humidity caused by repeated handling and opening, and eat the stored food as soon as possible.

3. Store in a cool and dry place:

It is best to store this type of food in a vacuum or sealed container in a low-temperature, dry environment. The temperature can be controlled below 20°C and the relative humidity below 50% to reduce the growth of Aflatoxin. On the other hand, food cannot be simply placed in the refrigerator. If the refrigerator is humid, it will cause food to spoil. It is recommended to use sealed cans, sealed bags or vacuum moisture-proof storage boxes with one-way air valves to store food.