Erratic weather, with alternating sun and rain, creates favorable conditions for mold to grow on foods such as: rice, corn, peanuts, various seeds, dried fruits, spices, and bread if not stored correctly.

Doctor Nguyen Thi Dieu Hien, from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Tam Anh General Hospital TP HCM, stated that many types of mold can produce toxins harmful to health. The most common are: aflatoxin, ochratoxin A, patulin, fumonisin, zearalenone, and nivalenol/deoxynivalenol.

The liver plays a vital role in metabolism, synthesis, and detoxification for the body. When consuming mold-contaminated food, the liver must work harder to process toxins. Initially, individuals may experience symptoms of acute poisoning such as: vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and fatigue. If this condition persists, it can progress to chronic poisoning, severely affecting the digestive system and impairing liver function.

A doctor advises a patient on a healthy diet. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital

According to Doctor Hien, among mold toxins, aflatoxin is considered one of the most potent. It is commonly found in rice, corn, beans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, black pepper, and ginger. This toxin can also appear in the milk of livestock that consume moldy feed. Once in the body, the toxin can damage liver tissue cells, potentially destroying DNA, causing gene mutations, and increasing the risk of liver cancer.

This risk is higher in individuals with chronic liver diseases such as: hepatitis B, C, or alcoholic liver disease. The habit of regular alcohol consumption impairs liver function and can amplify aflatoxin's harmful effects on liver cells, thereby increasing cancer risk.

High temperatures and humidity also create conditions for bacteria to thrive, increasing the risk of bacterial contamination in animal-derived foods rich in oil and protein (meat, fish, seafood, eggs, milk), raw or undercooked dishes, fermented foods, blood pudding, and offal. Common bacteria include: salmonella, botulinum, e.coli, campylobacter, and listeria. Hepatitis A virus and hepatitis E virus also pose a risk of transmission through contaminated food and water, increasing the metabolic and detoxification burden on the liver.

Doctor Dieu Hien advises everyone to adhere to food hygiene, preparation, and storage steps: after purchasing, sort and store food in airtight containers, placing them in the refrigerator promptly. The fresh food compartment should be kept below 5 degrees C, and the freezer compartment at -15 to -18 degrees C or lower to inhibit bacterial and mold growth. Frozen foods should be thawed properly by moving them from the freezer to the refrigerator. Cooked dishes that need to be kept hot should maintain a stable temperature of 60-65 degrees C or higher.

Families should separate raw and cooked foods during storage and preparation to prevent cross-contamination. Do not use the same cutting board for both raw and cooked items. Everyone should follow the principle of "eating cooked food and drinking boiled water" and wash hands thoroughly before eating. Leftover food should not be left at room temperature for more than 4 hours. Households should regularly clean their homes, ensuring they are dry and well-ventilated, and eliminate mold colonies.

Individuals should maintain a balanced diet, limit alcohol consumption, and undergo regular health check-ups to reduce the metabolic burden on the liver. Some natural extracts, such as: wasabia and s.marianum, may help control kupffer cell activity, contributing to enhanced liver detoxification.

Quoc An