When talking about the harm of tomato juice, doctors usually hint at the salt added to it. But little was known about the hidden danger of the drink until now.
Russian scientists have discovered that the juice contains substances that can cause nausea and sometimes even hemorrhage.
Viktor Tutelyan, head of the Department of Food Hygiene and Toxicology at the Institute of Professional Education at Sechenov University and chief nutritionist at the Russian Ministry of Health, told Lenta.ru about the hidden dangers of tomato juice.
The scientist spoke about the substances contained in the juice – alternaria toxins.
At high concentrations, they cause vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes bleeding into internal organs.
They are formed under the influence of microscopic mold fungi of the genus Alternaria - the most common type of mold in nature.
These substances pose a threat to health only when they are present in high concentrations, that is, when tomato juice is consumed regularly.
Research has also shown that toxins are found in other foods, including tomato puree, apples, oats, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.
Even baby food and some spices have been found to contain the substance.
Further research is needed to determine safe dosages of alternaria toxins.
For reference
Danger is any phenomenon that threatens human life and health.
