By Capt. S.K.

BHANDARI 09358525643

Watch out for toxins in fruits and vegetables While it is out of question that fruits and vegetables are good for health one should also keep in mind the harsh truth that some of them also contain toxins.

Lauki (bottle gourd) juice is a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate beverage with moderate potassium and fibre content. Its good satiety makes it useful for weight watchers, diabetics, hypertensives and heart patients. What could have caused the recent death of a scientist following consumption of lauki juice remains unknown. The most probable reason is acute toxicity resulting from a natural toxin in the vegetable itself or a chemical or microbial contaminant from an external source. While most vegetables are safe to eat raw or cooked, the presence of natural toxins in them is well-documented. Vegetables including broccoli, kale and cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts harbour goitrogens (chemicals that suppress the function of thyroid gland and interfere with iodine metabolism). Eating large amounts of these raw is believed by some to worsen a pre-existing thyroid condition.

Legumes, including kidney beans and soybean, contain toxic substances. Fava beans can be toxic to people who lack the enzyme needed to protect red blood cells from damage by vicine, a toxic substance in fava beans that causes a type of anaemia. Those taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors to treat depression should avoid fava beans, as the combination can raise blood pressure. Green and sprouted potatoes contain alkaloids, chaconine and solanine, which are poisonous and may trigger migraine or drowsiness in sensitive people. Alfalfa sprouts too can be toxic and flare up symptoms for those suffering from lupus.

Likewise, several varieties of mushrooms can be toxic. Agaritine in mushrooms are toxins but cooking inactivates and reduces all these toxic substances. While most vegetables do not cause allergies, some people may react to members of the nightshade family, including eggplant, bell peppers and tomatoes. Also, eating raw vegetables poses a risk of serious illness through microbial infection, most commonly E.coli and salmonella.

Excessive intake of certain fruits and vegetables too can be a problem. Fruits like apricots and prunes are rich in sorbitol (a form of sugar alcohol) that can induce osmotic diarrhoea (a kind of diarrhoea resulting when too much water is drawn into the bowels), particularly in individuals sensitive to fructose.

It is commonly believed that bitterness is nature's protection for mammals from natural toxins in vegetables and fruits. However, bitterness needs to be qualified. A certain amount of bitterness in vegetables like karela (bitter gourd), fenugreek or the cucumber family (cucumber, squash, eggplants, melon, pumpkin and gourds) is normal and we are all accustomed to it. Tetracyclic triterpenoid cucurbitacins, complex compounds found in the cucumber family, are responsible for the bitterness in these vegetables. These are highly toxic to mammals, however, at what levels are they toxic need to be established. Higher levels of these chemicals are triggered by wide temperature swings, low pH, high temperature, too little water, low soil fertility and improperly stored or over-matured vegetables.

Yet, vegetables and fruits are reservoirs of nutrients with numerous health benefits. In addition to antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, they provide disease-fighting, protective plant pigments called phytochemicals. Therefore, to become wary of eating these is not warranted. Therapeutic doses of any food must be taken under the guidance of a qualified physician. What you can do:

- Buy fruits and vegetables from a retailer or reputed vendor. Make sure they aren't overripe or bruised. - Avoid buying vegetables grown under unhygienic conditions. - If something does not look or taste right, discard it. - Wash fruits and vegetables in saline water/potassium permanganate before consuming. If need be, peel them before consuming.

- Store under appropriate conditions. Vegetables, including beans, eggplant, pepper and tomatoes, that originate in warm climate, keep best at 10 degree Celsius. Potatoes convert their starch to sugar below 4 degree Celsius, so keep them cool and away from light to prevent the formation of poisonous alkaloids. Most other vegetables keep best at 0 degree Celsius. - Do not leave chopped fruits and vegetables for long durations.

- Do not combine juices of naturally bitter vegetables with others. - Avoid juices, salads and cut fruits and vegetables from unhygienic vendors to prevent infections. - Choose organically grown, wherever possible. These contain fewer chemical residues and also retain phenolic compounds, chemicals that act as a plant's natural defence.