The cost-benefit ratio of mycotoxins depends on which food is contaminated.
Ochratoxin has been described as toxic to the immune system, developing the fetus, kidneys, and nervous system, as well as being carcinogenic, but that is in animal studies. Ochratoxin “causes kidney toxicity in some animals, but there is little documented evidence of adverse effects in humans.” That is why it is only considered a possible human carcinogen.
Big Ag asserts that current levels of ochratoxin are safe, even among those who eat a lot of contaminated food. The worst case may be young children who eat a lot of oat-based cereals, but, even so, “their lifetime risk of cancer is negligible.” People who oppose the regulatory standards suggest that we can eat more than 42 cups of oatmeal a day and not worry about it. Where do they get these types of ratings?
They determined the so-called balancing dose in animals—the dose of toxin that gives a 10% increase in pathology—then, because one would want to err on the side of caution, divide that dose by 500 as some kind of fudge factor of safety to improve daily tolerance. For cancer risk, you can find a tumor dose – a dose that increases tumor incidence in lab animals by 5% – and come down to a “cancer-free intake,” effectively including a 5,000-fold safety factor, as seen below and at 1:28 in my video. Should We Be Concerned About Ochratoxin Effects?.
It seems kind of weird, doesn’t it? But what else are you going to do? You can’t just feed people stuff on purpose and see what happens—but people always eat it. Can we just follow people and their diets over time and see if those who eat a lot of grains, like oats, for example, are more likely to get cancer or live a shorter life?
What is the association between eating whole grains and all-cause, heart disease, and cancer mortality? Every portion of grains eaten per day is associated not only with a lower risk of death from cancer but also with a lower risk of death from all causes combined. Below is also 2:05 mine video there are findings in all major cancer studies. Each is prone to lower risks of cancer.
The important thing is that you don’t get any confirmed side effects in these human studies. This is not to say that ochratoxin is harmless, but “any such risk does not outweigh the known benefits of wholegrain consumption.” In fact, the healthy components of whole grains themselves, such as their antioxidants, can directly reduce the impact of mycotoxins by protecting cells from damage. So, eating more fruits and vegetables can also help. Either way, “a well-rounded diet can play an important role in reducing the risk of grain contamination.”
In short, healthy foods like whole grains are good, but not so bad because of ochratoxin, while less unhealthy foods, like wine and pork, even worse due to mycotoxin, as shown below and 2:52 in mine video. Ochratoxin was found, for example, in 44% of the tested pork.
Doctor’s Note
This is the third video in a four-part series on fungal toxins. If you missed the first two, here you go Ochratoxin in Breakfast Cereals again Friday Favorites: Ochratoxin and Breakfast Cereals, Herbs, Spices, and Wine.
Should We Be Worried About Aflatoxin? comes next.
