Bean sprouts contain chemicals that have long-term effects on health

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital, the chemical 6-Benzylaminopurine used to soak bean sprouts causes many health consequences.

"The chemical 6-Benzylaminopurine is a plant growth stimulant, used mainly for some types of plants to increase branching, helping plants to grow more. In developed countries, the use of this chemical is closely monitored and must ensure that the product is brought to market a few months after the time the chemical is used," said Dr. Nguyen.

However, the use of chemicals to soak bean sprouts, creating growth stimulation in Nghe An recently, is very dangerous, because bean sprouts are sold on the market after only 1 day of soaking in chemicals, causing many health consequences.

"Current assessments of this chemical on animals show that the chemical 6-Benzylaminopurine affects the endocrine system, fetal development, the structure of the body's vascular system, the heart, and the endocrine system," said Dr. Nguyen.

Mixing this chemical into bean sprouts and distributing it to the market immediately means that this amount of chemical will directly affect human health, the consequences will certainly have many higher risks, of which the most dangerous is the impact on the body's development.

In addition, this expert warned that using green plastic containers that were mainly used to store chemicals and are reused is also a risk factor for dyes to seep into food.

From the perspective of a biological and food expert, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh, former lecturer at the Institute of Biotechnology and Food ( Hanoi University of Science and Technology) said that 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP), also known as "candy water", is a growth stimulant. This chemical is absolutely not allowed to be used in food.

Associate Professor Thinh analyzed: because it is a growth stimulant, the chemical 6-BAP is very dangerous when ingested by humans. It disrupts the body's growth and development processes, cells develop abnormally, especially nerve cells, adversely affecting human health. In particular, for pregnant women, this chemical can affect the development of the fetus, causing the fetus to develop abnormally, possibly leading to premature birth, hydrocephalus, malformations...".

How to distinguish clean price and chemical soaked price

In response to consumers' concerns and worries about not knowing how to choose clean bean sprouts, Associate Professor Thinh has provided some tips to distinguish clean bean sprouts from bean sprouts contaminated with chemicals, with the naked eye.

According to Associate Professor Thinh, clean bean sprouts get their own nutrients, without stimulants, so they are thin, have thin stems, develop unevenly, and have brown roots. The roots are about 3-7cm long, with lots of hair. The cotyledons are small, light green, and often attached to the bean pods.

On the contrary, chemically soaked bean sprouts are often more eye-catching, big, round, plump, regular, not bent due to the use of growth stimulants. This type has short roots, pure white, pale white stems, looks unnatural, succulent. Clean bean sprouts are ivory white or light green naturally, with a bean smell.

When eaten, bean sprouts soaked in chemicals are often spongy, dry, not fragrant, even have a strong smell, less natural bean smell, not sweet, and release a lot of water when processed. Bean sprouts soaked in chemicals can be left outside for many days, at room temperature, without worrying about spoiling. Clean bean sprouts are prone to soggy, spoiling faster after 1-2 days left outside. When stir-fried, bean sprouts have a more fragrant, sweet, and refreshing smell.

Consumers can also differentiate by cutting the bean sprouts. If the bean sprouts have a lot of water and are unusually porous, this type of bean sprout may have been treated with growth stimulants. Or, users can soak the bean sprouts in diluted salt water for a few minutes to observe the color and smell. In addition, clean bean sprouts have many fine roots and an ugly appearance. If no roots are seen, users should be cautious.

Associate Professor Thinh advises consumers to buy from reputable, trustworthy, hygienic places with expiry dates. Food should be stored at appropriate temperatures to prevent bacteria from growing.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/gia-do-chua-hoa-chat-anh-huong-lau-dai-den-suc-khoe-post874056.html