A nutritionist, Dr. James Oloyede has said that consuming rotten tomatoes can increase the risk of contracting cancer. Oloyede warned that rotten tomatoes contain aflatoxins which can predispose those who consume them to cancer. He further pointed out that eating foods with mucus growing on them is also not healthy.
According to the World Health Organisation, aflatoxins are poisonous substances produced by certain kinds of fungi (moulds) that are found naturally all over the world. They can contaminate food crops and pose a serious health threat to humans and livestock.
The WHO also warned that long-term exposure to aflatoxins can lead to birth defects and stunted growth in children as well as immunosuppression leading to decreased resistance to infectious agents.
While noting that the fungi can be found in rotten tomatoes, the National Cancer Institute also listed some of the crops where the poisonous fungi can be found as maize (corn), groundnut, cottonseed, and tree nuts.
According to Oloyede, studies have confirmed that the exposure of rotten tomatoes to aflatoxins is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer.
“Those white things found in rotting tomatoes are fungi, aflatoxins.
“When people consume them, they are part of what causes free radicals in the body.
“We call them free radicals and they can eventually lead to certain types of carcinogens that cause cancer.”
“That’s why we advise people to eat good food.
“Foods that have been contaminated with fungi like aflatoxins are dangerous and poisonous.
“People should beware of the kind of food they eat. Rotten tomatoes growing mucus and fungi are not healthy. They should be avoided.
“The truth of the matter is that at the end of the day, there is nutrient to nutrient interaction with food. So, if certain foods could lead to free radicals, you could eat other types of food that can counteract them. That’s the reason why not everything bad one eats leads to ill health at the end of the day,” Oloyede said.
However, the nutritionist stressed that it is better to eat clean healthy food at all times, noting that many people may not be aware of the kind of foods that can help to neutralise the interaction of other foods in the human body.
source: HealthWise
