Recently, online rumors of “Nicotine in tomatoes†have caused many people to panic. Experts said that the content of nicotine in tomatoes is “very small†and basically negligible. In fact, not only tomatoes but also many foods contain nicotine.
In addition to tobacco, a large number of solanaceous plants contain nicotine
"Actually, people have long found that other solanaceous plants contain nicotine besides tobacco," said Fan Zhihong, associate professor of nutrition and food safety at the Food College of China Agricultural University. Many species of solanaceous plants are loved by humans. And a large number of cultivation, such as eggplant, tomatoes and sweet peppers, darling peppers of condiments, potatoes that are used as staple foods by Europeans, and quails that are known for their health care are all under the Solanaceae. Even as early as 1852, it was discovered that rotting potatoes contained nicotine.
Fan Zhihong introduced that since then some scholars have determined the content of nicotine in food. Calculated on a dry weight basis, the nicotine content in potato peels can be as high as 14.80 mg/kg, while the content in peeled potatoes is below the detection limit (1 mg/kg). The average content of tomato fruit was 2.31 mg/kg, eggplant was 2.65 mg/kg, and green pepper was 3.15 mg/kg. Since the data is calculated on a dry weight basis, and the tomato water content is as high as nearly 95%, the actual content is divided by 20, ie 0.12 mg/kg. After the processed and cooked tomato products and potato products, the nicotine content was below the limit of detection and was basically negligible.
According to Li Guangping, a state-level public nutritionist, online reports exaggerated the harm of nicotine on the human body. In fact, even people who prefer certain vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers do not need to worry. Taking tomato as an example, the consumption of nicotine for tens of kilograms of tomatoes will harm the human body. .
Li Guangping explained that tomatoes contain a large number of beneficial ingredients for the human body: lycopene, vitamin C, carotenoids, etc., can enhance the body's immune system, anti-oxidation, anti-cancer, hypolipidemic and other effects, completely without having to contain Tiny nicotine panic.
Fan Zhihong pointed out that according to toxicological data, nicotine is 0.5-0.1mg/kg for humans. According to its lower limit of 0.1, 50kg of people need to ingest 5mg to be life-threatening, which is equivalent to about 50kg. The content of nicotine in tomatoes. The amount of peeled potatoes is even lower. Even if the skin is eaten with potatoes, because the proportion of skin is very low, the average content is still very low. Therefore, there is absolutely no need for the public to worry that eating tomatoes and potatoes can cause nicotine poisoning. Moreover, the metabolic degradation of nicotine in the human body is very fast and does not accumulate in the human body for a long time.
1 cup and a half tomato juice a day also protects pregnant women
Fan Zhihong introduced that studies have shown that some mushrooms contain high nicotine. The research data received by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) show that the concentration of nicotine in wild mushrooms such as boletus and truffle is as high as 0.5 mg/kg. However, further studies have found that nicotine is a natural metabolite of the fungus itself and is not a contamination residue of the nicotine insecticide. Given the low daily intake of fungus foods, nicotine is unlikely to pose a threat to human health.
Studies have also shown that tomato juice has protective effects on animal babies for experimental animals exposed to second-hand smoke during pregnancy and lactation. The study found that at 42 days of birth, the lung capacity and alveolar thickness of neonatal mice were significantly reduced under the influence of 1 mg/kg BW dose of nicotine, and if tomato juice was consumed at the same time, the adverse effects were eliminated and Uncontaminated animals reached the same level.
According to the dose of tomato juice used in this study, only about 1 cup of half tomato juice (about 375 ml) needed to be consumed each day was enough to provide enough lycopene to protect a pregnant adult woman weighing 60 kg. Therefore, not only does tomato not cause nicotine harm, but it can protect people and reduce the risk of tobacco poisoning.
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