Vegetables can be categorized into 2 namely, the leafy and non leafy vegetables. Tomatoes are typical examples of the vegetables that are non leafy. They are blessed with varieties of nutrients.

However, consumption of tomatoes can be harmful to the human health when ignorance is employed in some information worth taking note of about it’s consumption.

One habit people embrace in consumption of tomatoes that can result to health damage is that of consuming them when rotten or semi rotten. This is usually done when we try to buy the cheaper ones, often refered to in the east as ‘Awarawa’.

These set of goods are often damaged and would be compiled and sold at cheaper prices instead of having them wasted and people would prefer them, especially during the periods of the year when tomatoes are scarce and extremely costly in the market.

Such tomatoes, when they’ve rotten and grown moulds are very dangerous to our health. The reason for this is because, moulds, when ingested in our body would give rise to substances known as Aflatoxins. These are toxic substances whose effects can give rise to liver cancer.

The liver serves a lot of functions to the human body that anyone can hardly survive with this organ inactive or severely damaged. Detoxification of foods we eat, breakdown and excretion of bilirubin which is the product of red blood cell destruction among others are the functions of the liver.

Instead of having your vital organ put in a severe risk by going for cheaper options of tomatoes that can on the long run bring damage to your health, you may choose other options such as preparing fried rice or banga stew till you have enough money for fresh and sound ones.

There are also other possible options you can figure out for yourself but the most important is, avoid rotten tomatoes with moulds on them.

Nwachineke Onyeke Chekwube reporting, Obinwannem news writer/ November 3, 2021