A Lesson I learned today about Cancer and Survival Supplies

[Mike03]

I was reading a book called "Avoiding Cancer One Day At A Time" by Eldridge and Borgeson, and they said that it is very important to refrigerate or freeze nuts.

Maybe many of you know this, but I had no clue that nuts stored at room temperature could gather fungal contaminants known as Aflatoxins, a fungus (mycotoxon) that can cause terminal liver failure or hepatomological cancer.

This is a fungus that can also contaminate grains, such as corn, peanuts and wheat, which I also keep in my garage.

It is probably rare, but I just want to caution anyone who stores nuts or grains as survival supplies to become educated about how to store them properly.

[hisownpetard]

1. Hi, Mike. Thanks for the post. Who knew?

Hope your dad's doing well.

[some guy]

2. I did not know that.

I did notice that the healthy foods grocery I go to keeps nuts in refrigerated cases. Maybe that's why they do that.

I think you're right that it's probably rare, since most grocery put nuts on non-refrigerated shelves, though they also don't really expect the items on their shelves to stay there for months or years...

:shrug:

Thanks! :)

[Swede]

3. Also refrigerate your peanut butter for the same reason.

Lots of people don't.

[TexasBushwhacker]

4. Peanuts have aflatoxins to begin with

You're better off eating other nut butters like almond or cashew.

Also, baking mixes like Bisquick can go bad after a while, so it's best to not buy the super-duper size. Actually, it's better to not buy them at all because they have transfats.

[Mike03]

6. That is what scares me

I "collect" (for want of a better word) organic nut butters, especially almond and cashew, and I don't refrigerate them. Some of them are probably more than a year old.

Do you think they are dangerous?

[TexasBushwhacker]

8. Well, what's your health worth?

If they're all sealed up, then they probably have a sell by date. If you bought them bulk (like at Whole Foods) I'd toss 'em. Even if they don't kill you, they'd probably make you sick or at least taste nasty.

The main thing is, don't buy more than you're going to eat in a reasonable amount of time. Unless you have a big family, don't buy the biggest because it's the cheapest per ounce. It doesn't save you money if you have to throw it out. I'm single and I've had to learn this the hard way.

[Mike03]

9. Thank you for your input; you are right.

I probably have some OCD disorder that makes me more anxious about stocking up on things.

[CGowen]

5. Last year I was making some brownies and needed walnuts,

I found 2 year old ones in a cup, when I opened them they were uneatable.

Is this a book on carcinogens or does it examine healthy food as a means to help the body to prevent cancer? (Theories about millet or something else)

[Mike03]

11. This particular book is about avoiding cancer as a way of life, but

my desk is stacked with abstracts, papers, journals and books that basically make the same arguments.

My obsession right now is mostly on carcinogens, and these studies are online or in textbooks, and it is obscene to say, but the textbooks are like two hundred to two hundred and fifty dollars. In other words, we have to pay for information on our health. And on line, new papers are about thirty dollars apiece unless we are doctors who are members of the various industry publications.

[DS1]

7. well shit

I just started eating peanuts.

and all this time I was right about not liking them

:crazy:

[TexasBushwhacker]

12. We forget they're not nuts

Peanuts are legumes (a fancy word for BEANS). If you want to eat beans, there are healthier ones than peanuts. If you want to eat nuts, walnuts are the healthiest, but all tree nuts have good nutritional value. They are high in fat (good fats, but still fats) so just be careful if you're watching your calories.

[lizerdbits]

10. Another reason to do that

is that the fats will go rancid if left at room temp for too long.

[LynzM]

13. Yup.

Old nuts are disgusting, once the oils go bad. Bleh. Didn't know that about the other aspects, though.