What You Must Know: Nuts Can Also Cause Cancer
There are many types of nuts, which generally contain high levels of protein, oil, and unique flavors. It is widely believed that all kinds of nuts have high nutritional value. However, nut foods also have some easily overlooked health risks. People should learn to identify these issues to avoid health damage.
1. Carcinogenic Risk from Mold
Many nuts are susceptible to mold contamination. The greatest health risk to humans comes from mold caused by Aspergillus flavus. Aflatoxins are metabolic products of Aspergillus flavus. The most important and most toxic is Aflatoxin B1, with a median lethal dose of only 0.36 mg/kg body weight, classifying it as an extremely toxic substance. Its toxicity is 10 times greater than potassium cyanide and 68 times greater than arsenic. Acute poisoning from aflatoxins primarily damages the liver, inducing hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver necrosis. Clinical manifestations include stomach discomfort, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, and tenderness in the liver area; in severe cases, edema, coma, and convulsions leading to death can occur. Aflatoxins are the strongest carcinogens known to date. Research has found that aflatoxins can induce liver cancer in animals and can also trigger stomach cancer, kidney cancer, colorectal cancer, and cancers of the breast, ovary, and small intestine. Aflatoxin contamination is a global problem, including in some developed countries where the contamination is also quite severe. In China, food contamination is particularly serious in southern regions with high temperatures and humidity.
When purchasing dried fruits like peanuts, you should check for mold. On one hand, you can manually pick out moldy kernels. Additionally, for those who enjoy dried fruits like peanuts, it is crucial to carefully examine the surface of the kernels for mold spots in processed products. If in doubt, it is best to buy and consume less. This is especially important for nut products mixed with sugar or other ingredients, as extra caution is needed. When buying raw peanuts, they should be washed before cooking. Although aflatoxin is not water-soluble, washing can remove most of the toxins adhering to the outside of the kernels.
Some unscrupulous processors use various methods to conceal the deterioration of raw materials, making it difficult for people to identify inferior or spoiled nuts through color, shape, or taste. This is especially true for precious nut varieties, as using inferior raw materials can yield higher profits.
2. Health Hazards from Rancid Oil
Many nuts contain a high amount of unsaturated fatty acids. While these components have special nutritional value, they are also prone to oxidative rancidity. This type of spoilage is easy to detect; most people can identify the rancid (stale) smell or taste of the kernels and thus make the right choice to eat and avoid harm.
3. Misuse of Chemical Preservatives
During storage, processed nut kernels are prone to fatty acid rancidity, which can render the product commercially worthless. Therefore, manufacturers usually take measures to control this problem. The use of chemical antioxidants is very common, and there are frequent instances of illegal and non-compliant use of such chemical additives, posing a potential health hazard to consumers. Some synthetic antioxidants themselves have certain carcinogenic properties. It is difficult for consumers to detect the misuse of chemical antioxidants, and they can only rely on the strict supervision of regulatory authorities to ensure their safety.
4. Misuse of Flavoring and Cosmetic Agents
Regulatory agencies have found that some melon seed producers illegally use industrial dyes and industrial paraffin in their production. Many non-edible dyes are highly carcinogenic. Industrial paraffin often contains carcinogenic impurities. Nuts grown in hot and humid environments are susceptible to mold contamination or other factors that lead to poor appearance quality. Some processors often use bleaching agents, such as sulfur dioxide-based chemicals, to cosmetically treat nuts and remove discolored spots. This often leads to excessive residues of harmful chemicals in the kernels. This is especially true for split nuts like pistachios, where harmful treatment agents are more likely to accumulate. These cosmetic chemicals are very harmful to human health. Some harmful ingredients can cause adverse reactions in the body, particularly abnormal changes in oral tissues. People who are attentive to their own reactions can identify these hazards.
5. Allergic Hazards
Various nuts have unique and appealing flavors and also contain special proteins. Not everyone can adapt to these proteins. Some people with sensitive constitutions are sensitive to rare proteins and may have allergic reactions. Currently, more research has been done on the mechanism of peanut allergies, while the allergenic components of other nuts are less understood. In addition, during storage, bulk nut kernels can easily breed mites that are invisible to the naked eye. Inhaling or ingesting these mites can cause strong allergic reactions in some people.
Although various nuts are rich in nutrients, they also carry high risks of unsafe hazards. People should pay attention to distinguishing between good and bad nuts in their daily lives and consume them in moderation. This is especially true for some rare nuts that are rarely eaten; extra care is needed to avoid harm, and one should not be reluctant to discard nut foods that have already been identified as poor in quality just because they are precious.