Effect of Aflatoxin On Liver Cancer

The Effects of Aflatoxin: A Known Carcinogen

What is Aflatoxin?

Aflatoxin is a toxic chemical that develops in foods and feeds due to increased moisture and heat produced by the fungus called Aspergillus flavus or A. Parasiticus. The mold spores formed in the humid environment produce this toxic substance and contaminate the food.
Factors that Facilitate Aflatoxin Growth Aflatoxin, which is mainly formed in crops at harvest time, facilitate mold growth by increasing the amount of water due to hindering crop drying before storage. Also, insect and rodent infestation is another factor that causes this mold growth. This condition can occur almost anywhere but is more likely in tropical and warmer countries.

Which Foods are Most at Risk?

Aflatoxin, generally observed in cheese, corn, peanut, cottonseed, almond, fig, spice, and feed varieties, is also formed in milk, egg, and meat products as a result of feeding animals with feeds containing this substance. However, aflatoxin-containing maize, peanuts, and cottonseed are the crops with the highest cancer risk.

The Link Between Aflatoxin and Liver Cancer

Clear evidence shows that consuming foods with aflatoxin in China and sub-Saharan Africa is one of the leading causes of human hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) is supported by cancer associations. Aflatoxin is a toxic substance known to have carcinogenic effects on humans and causes liver cancer in animals. Another recent study shows that the hepatitis B virus and long-term aflatoxin-containing foods increase the risk of liver cancer.

Recommendations

The discovery of aflatoxin and its link to liver cancer has raised awareness of the potential harms of toxic food, which can cause illness and even loss of life in humans and mammals. Therefore, it is essential to follow strict control mechanisms to limit the risk of consuming contaminated food. When consuming risky foods containing aflatoxin, it is recommended to discard any moldy, discolored, or abnormal products without waiting and buying new ones. Long-term storage of foods containing mold spores that produce toxic substances increases the disease risk.