Cows can pass on the hypoglycin A toxin through their milk, a study by the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) in “Toxins” revealed recently.
The toxins discovered in cow’s milk can cause acute symptoms in humans and animals. A small-scale amount of the poison was identified in the raw milk of cows, that grazed in a field exposed to sycamore maple. The team calls for further investigation to accurately evaluating the possible perils.
A high level of hypoglycin A can be found in unripe akee and lychee fruits and in the seeds and seedlings of different types of maple trees.
Hypoglycin A toxin with oxidant properties is present in the wilted or dried leaves and bark of red maple trees and many more maple species. The most common toxic maple tree species along with red maple trees are Silver maple and autumn blaze. But the red maple tree and its closely related cross-breed are known to be the most toxic species.
Hemoglobin oxidizes and turns into Heinz bodies, methemoglobinemia, and subsequent hemolytic anemia due to toxin residing in leaves of the red maple tree.
Poisoning is likely to occur in the spring and summer when leaves of fallen branches become open to horses and cows. The new green maple leaves obviously are not poisonous, but once dried they may stay harmful for as long as 30 days.
Why humans should not drink Cow’s milk
Toxin from maple trees in cow’s milk can cause severe symptoms in humans and animals. Pesticides sprayed on maple tree leaves could be the cause of toxins produced.
In 2017, a group of analysts in India had the chance to discover that poison was the reason for the abrupt deaths of a few hundred kids in the country who had recently eaten huge amounts of lychee.
“The Substance interferes with the body’s energy metabolism. One typical symptom in humans is very low blood sugar levels,” explains Professor Annette Zeyner from the Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences at MLU.
Not to fail to remember that in 2013 hypoglycin A from the maple trees was additionally found to cause abnormal myopathy in horses. Which is a bewildering infection that is lethal for animals kept on a pasture.
Contaminated raw milk and dairy products are causes of food-borne disease epidemics in our society. These toxins cause potential health risks to humans. Toxic raw milk from cows can cause allergies and infections in consumers.
Analysis of Researchers:
Zeyner and her group united with Dr. Jörg Ziegler from IPB to find whether Hypoglycin A can also be found in the breast milk of cows “Maple trees are widespread and grazing cows is a common practice. Thus, it seemed logical that cows – like horses – would eat the seeds or seedlings of maple trees, thereby ingesting the toxins,” clarifies Zeyner.
Samples of cow’s milk were collected directly from farmers of Northern Germany for further studies and analysis. Zeyner then said, “We did not analyze samples from individual cows; instead, we sampled the milk from several cows which were stored in collection tanks,”.
Experiments of researchers:
Professors from MLU and IPB used a mass spectrometer to analyze samples of Cow’s milk. As mass spectrometry is an analytical technique helpful in detecting even minute amounts of substances present in any sample.
And results were: “We detected hypoglycin A only in two samples of raw milk from one of the farms whose pasture contained a single maple tree,” says zeyner.
Professor Annette Zeyner further elaborates that the concentration of a substance in cow’s milk was 17 and 69 micrograms in one liter of milk. And these are low and broadly fluctuating amounts. In any case, taking into account that there was just one tree in the field. And the sample came from a collection tank making it amazing that they were able to detect something at least. Plus, the toxin was not detected in any other sample.
“Our study is the first to show that cows appear to ingest parts of the sycamore maple containing the toxin, which is then transferred to their milk. Many other questions arise from this finding,” summarizes the researchers.
And the most important question that is yet to answer is how much toxin the cow needs to ingest for there to be recognized easily in their milk.
Follow-up examinations will decide if the substance is annihilated when the milk is prepared or even this low concentration is also a matter of concern.
Mycotoxin effects of Cow’s Milk on our health:
Mycotoxins are toxic substances produced by fungi residing on crops. But just a few of them are lethal to health out of thousands of them. Scientists so far have succeeded in uncovering the medical and veterinary impacts of just a few fungi.
Toxins in cow’s milk are carcinogenic and are immunosuppressive secondary metabolites. Initial acute signs of toxic inhalation from milk are rare. But taking a huge amount of toxins from cow’s milk can cause serious health hazards.
Contaminants in Cow’s milk can cause a wide range of diseases in humans. Few of them are mention here.
- Alzheimer: it is a progressive neurological disorder that causes brain cells to die early. Alzheimer’s early signs are dementia- person forget even most recent events and conversations of daily routine. This condition affects a person’s social and behavioral ability to work independently.
- Cancer: a condition that results due to uncontrolled and abnormal cell growth in any organ. Taking toxic cow’s milk can cause cancer of organs of the gastrointestinal tract.
Abnormal cancer cells can migrate to another body organ from their origin through blood causing malignant tumors. Thus cancer causes life-threatening conditions.
- Parkinson’s: it is a neurological disorder that leads to tremors in the hands while performing any voluntary movement like writing, drawing, and walking.
Parkinson’s can also result by taking in toxins from cow’s milk but it can be treated through the L-DOPA drug.
Symptoms of Parkinson’s are fatigue, constipation, tremor in the hands, bradykinesia, and impaired balance and coordination which might lead to falls of the patient.
- Heart disease: It is the most frequent and most minacious cause of death in the United States leading to the death of at least 2 patients out of 8.
Heart problems are a vast domain but the most common is CAD-Coronary artery disease which results in a heart attack.
Toxins can cause tachycardia, arrhythmias, elevated blood pressure thus increasing the risk of a heart attack.
The government needs to take effective actions to reduce toxins from cow’s milk for assessment of chemical risks being caused and for risk management to save humans from health hazards.
The well-being of in taking Cow’s milk:
Cow’s milk contains numerous nutrients needed for normal growth and healthy medical condition, especially essential in child developing stages. Numerous nutrients have innumerable functions. Some of them are listed here.
- Protein: plays a vital role in body tissue formation and repair, maintains body metabolic rate and hormonal balance. Providing the body with a firm structure, protein is also involved in regulating the PH and fluid balance of the human body.
- Calcium: essential for maintaining the hard structure of bones and teeth. And for muscles, it’s essential for mobilization, and in nerves, calcium helps in nerve conduction and message transduction.
- Vitamin B12: needed for nerves and the body’s cells for making DNA, the genetic material of all cells of the human body.
- Whey and Casein: play a crucial role in lowering the blood pressure of the body.
- Magnesium: Acts as a cofactor for more than 300 enzymes, these enzymes are involved in controlling diverse reactions taking place in the human body. Few of them are regulating muscle and nerve function and protein synthesis.
- Steroid Hormones: required for normal functioning and growth of the human body.
Babies and cow’s milk:
Cow’s Milk is a most delicious and nutritious drink commonly offered to babies and toddlers for their speedy and healthy development. Not just to babies it’s given to kids mix with oats, cornflakes casually, or in the form of milk share.
Cow’s milk is good for babies and kids as it contains a sufficient amount of calcium which helps in the normal healthy growth of bones and teeth.
But is cow’s milk safe for your young ones and elders?
As recent studies discovered that amur maple and various maple species pass toxins in cow’s milk. The presence of toxins in cow’s milk can cause serious symptoms in humans. It not only weakens the immune system of humans but toxicity can cause death within minutes.
Alternatives to cow’s milk:
At a point when you are not sure the cow’s milk you use has toxins from maple species or not, moving to alternatives is the ideal choice you can make. Feed your baby with an incredible milk substitute.
Cow’s milk substitutes can offer great nutritional profiles and various flavors to keep things fascinating. The supermarket racks can get somewhat overloaded with various products. So how would you pick the correct milk substitutes for you? Look at the following alternatives which provide amazing nourishment realities.
- Soy Milk
- Almond Milk
- Rice Milk
- Coconut Milk
- Cashew Milk
- Hemp Milk
(July 27, 2021, From “ The Conversation”)
Send your message to us:
Post time: Jul-27-2021