Warning about toxic acid in tamarind

Listening to 'advice' online, a 62-year-old woman in Hanoi suffered kidney damage and acute kidney failure after drinking water boiled from the purple tamarind tree.

The Poison Control Center of Bach Mai Hospital ( Hanoi ) informed about the case of the female patient mentioned above. Talking to the doctor, the patient said that because she saw information online about the cooling and detoxifying effects of the tamarind tree and that her aunt also boiled it to drink to treat kidney stones and diabetes, the patient used it even though she only had a herniated disc.

The patient used tamarind tree to boil water to drink, which later led to kidney failure (sample provided by the patient)

PHOTO: BVCC

The patient said that he used about 0.5 kg of tamarind including flowers, white roots and bunches of tubers, washed clean. This tamarind was boiled until soft, condensed from 1.5 liters of water to 600 ml and divided into 3 cups to drink. After drinking 2 cups, the patient felt nauseous and vomited. 2 days later, due to feeling tired and having abnormal health, the patient went to the hospital.

"This tamarind leaf water has an astringent, sour, and salty taste even though nothing else is added when boiling the water," the patient recounted.

At Bach Mai Hospital, urine and blood test results showed creatinine levels many times higher than normal. The patient was diagnosed with kidney damage and acute kidney failure.

Tamarind is known to contain oxalic acid, perhaps in higher amounts than other plants. The case above shows that even a plant that is considered edible can be poisonous when consumed in excess.

Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen

Strong ACID in tamarind

According to the doctor at the Poison Control Center, the patient's plant sample was identified as Oxalis corymbosa DC. Test results at the National Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene showed that the sample of Oxalis corymbosa DC the patient drank contained oxalic acid. This substance is the cause of kidney failure when the patient drinks too much.

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, oxalic acid is an agent that causes kidney damage and kidney failure if ingested in large amounts. More severe cases will cause acute poisoning and can lead to death. The above patient is the first case the center has recorded of a patient drinking a plant containing oxalic acid and being poisoned, causing kidney failure.

"Searching the world's medical literature, we have not found any reports or studies about people being poisoned by this plant," said Dr. Nguyen.

The Director of the Poison Control Center added: Oxalic acid is an organic acid with strong acidity. Under normal conditions, this acid exists in crystalline form, easily soluble in water to form a colorless solution with a sour taste. At high doses, oxalic acid easily irritates the intestinal mucosa. At pure doses with a content of 4 - 5 grams, it can cause acute poisoning, even leading to death.

The toxic dose of pure oxalic acid is estimated at 378 mg/kg body weight (about 22.68 grams/person weighing 60 kg). In the body, the combination of oxalic acid with calcium creates calcium oxalate, which can cause precipitation and deposition to form stones in the urinary organs, liver, gallbladder, pancreas... or accumulate in the joints.

Acids in everyday vegetables

Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen shared that oxalic acid can be found in fruits and vegetables that the body absorbs every day such as star fruit, lemon, grapes, tamarind, beetroot, spinach, tea leaves, bok choy, celery... The easy way to recognize when eating foods containing oxalic acid is that they have a sour, astringent taste. By eating small amounts of these foods every day, the amount of oxalic acid taken in does not affect health.

Dr. Nguyen especially noted that when having health problems, people need to go to the doctor to get a correct diagnosis and prescription. If using traditional medicine, they need to be examined by practitioners who have been licensed by the management and professional agency (with official records of qualifications, and registration for medical examination and treatment). Absolutely do not believe and "self-treat" according to methods spread online or by word of mouth," Dr. Nguyen emphasized.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/canh-bao-ve-a-xit-gay-doc-trong-cay-me-dat-185250508193058338.htm