Angela Onwuzoo Experts in nutrition and food-related matters have asked Nigerians to refrain from consuming rotten tomatoes, warning that they contain aflatoxins that have been proven to be injurious to health. The nutritionists cautioned pregnant women to avoid consuming rotten tomatoes, revealing that mycotoxins in them could lead to birth defects and delayed growth in children. According to them, large doses of aflatoxins, which are amongst the most poisonous mycotoxins, can also lead to liver damage and suppressed immunity.
The nutritionists stated this during exclusive interviews with PUNCH HealthWise, warning that people should avoid consuming tomatoes that have a foul smell. The World Health Organisation says mycotoxins can cause a variety of adverse health effects and pose a serious health threat to both humans and livestock. WHO notes that the adverse health effects of mycotoxins range from acute poisoning to long-term impacts such as immune deficiency and cancer.
A Clinical Nutritionist at the Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Susan Holdbrookee, told our correspondent that as Christmas is around the corner, people should be mindful of the type of tomatoes that they buy to make their stew, especially pregnant women. Holdbrookee advised people to resist the temptation of buying rotten tomatoes because they are cheap, warning that such tomatoes are unhealthy for human consumption and could cause liver damage..
