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]]]]]]]]]] NATURALLY OCCURRING TOXINS IN FOODS [[[[[[[[[[[[
By Oleg Panczenko (Freeman 10602PANC)
"The whole world is made of carcinogens."
- Bruce N. Ames (1987)
SOME NATURALLY OCCURRING TOXINS, CARCINOGENS, MUTAGENS,
AND TUMORIGENS IN SOME COMMON FOODS
Food Chemical(s) Amount Effect
(1) (2)
alfalfa sprouts canavanine 15,000 ppm toxin
basil estragole carc
beer ethyl carbamate 1-5 ppb tumor
black pepper piperine 10% by wt carc
black pepper safrole carc
bracken fern tannins carc
bread ethyl carbamate 1-5 ppb tumor
bread, fresh formaldehyde carc
bread urethane carc
broccoli allyl isothiocyanate carc
butter diacetyl mutag
cabbage allyl isothiocyanate carc
cauliflower allyl isothiocyanate carc
celery psoralens 100 ppb mutag
chicken, grilled carcinogenic nitropyrenes (3) carc
cinnamon safrole carc
coffee benzo(a)pyrene (4) carc
coffee caffeine toxin
coffee chlorogenic acid mutag
coffee diacetyl mutag
coffee hydrogen peroxide carc
coffee methyl glyoxal mutag
coffee tannins carc
coltsfoot senkirkine 150 ppm tumor
comfrey (5) symphytine tumor
fennel estragole carc
fiddlehead greens ptaquiloside carc
horseradish allyl isothiocyanate 50-100 ppm carc
mace safrole carc
morel, false (6) metyl hydrazine 14 ppm carc
morel, false (6) myromitrin ~500 ppm carc
morel, false (6) N-methyl-N-formylhydrazine 500 ppm carc
mushroom, common parahydrazinobenzoic acid 10 ppm carc
mustard, brown allyl isothiocyanate 50-100 ppm carc
nutmeg safrole carc
parsnips psoralens 40 ppm mutag
potatoes chaconine 75 ppm toxin
potatoes solanine toxin
red wines tannins carc
rocket (arugula) allyl isothiocyanate carc
sake urethane carc
shrimp (7) formaldehyde carc
soy sauce ethyl carbamate 1-5 ppb tumor
star anise safrole carc
tarragon estragole carc
tea tannins carc
tomato puree methylglyoxal mutag
wine ethyl carbamate 1-5 ppb tumor
yogurt ethyl carbamate 1-5 ppb tumor
Notes: (1) Given if mentioned in the references. (2)
Abbreviations: carc, carcinogenic; mutag, mutagenic; tumor,
tumorigenic. (3) These carcinogenic nitropyrenes are also
present in diesel exhaust. (4) When amino acids and
amines (both of which are widely found in foods) are heated
at high temperatures, they produce benzo(a)pyrene. (5) The
leaves and roots of Russian comfrey are sold in many
health-food stores and are used as medicine, in salads, or
brewed to make a tea. (6) The false morel is a mushroom.
(7) Formaldehyde develops in a shrimp's flesh after it
dies.
Bibliography
Bruce N. Ames, Renae Magaw, Lois Swirsky Gold. Ranking Possible
Carcinogenic Hazards. Science, 17 April 1987, pp. 271-280.
Marla Cone. "Scoffing Through the Apocalypse." California
Magazine, August 1987, p. 75.
William R. Havender and Leonard T. Flynn. Does Nature Know Best?
Natural Carcinogens in American Food. July 1987. (The American
Council on Science and Health, 47 Maple Street, Summit, NJ
07901; $2.00)
* * *
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