Symptoms of broad bean poisoning

When it comes to broad bean poisoning, I think most people in real life are familiar with it. As the name suggests, it is poisoning caused by eating broad beans, commonly known as "favism", which is a hemolytic anemia. Because underage children love to eat broad beans and use improper eating methods, they are more likely to suffer from broad bean poisoning than normal people. So what are the symptoms of broad bean poisoning? The phenomenon is actually hemolytic anemia caused by eating broad beans, also known as "favism", which is more likely to occur in children.

The principle of favism is the lack of an enzyme in the body - glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). Studies have shown that G6PD protects red blood cell membranes from oxidative damage. Broad beans contain two nucleosides, vicine and covicine, which are hydrolyzed by β-glycosidase in a weak acid environment to divicine and isouramiel, respectively. These two aglycones can reduce the GSH content of red blood cells in the body, making it impossible for red blood cells to reduce oxidized glutathione (GSSH), interfering with 6-phosphate glucose dehydrogenase (G6PD), causing NADPH (reduced coenzyme II) deficiency, and ultimately causing hemolysis. In addition to G6PD deficiency, there are other factors that are not fully understood that lead to broad bean poisoning. Broad beans cannot be eaten raw. Broad bean seeds contain bisporin, which can cause acute hemolytic anemia (fav bean yellow disease) when consumed by humans. Eating green broad beans in spring and summer can often cause poisoning if they are not cooked properly. The disease usually occurs 4 to 24 hours after eating raw broad beans. To prevent broad bean poisoning, it is best not to eat fresh tender broad beans, and they must be cooked before eating.

What are the symptoms of poisoning after eating broad beans? Early stage: chills, slight fever, dizziness, fatigue, lack of appetite, abdominal pain; then: jaundice, anemia, hemoglobinuria, soy sauce-colored urine; followed by: fever, increased fatigue and weakness, which can last about 3 days. In addition, hemolytic anemia may be accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, and increased abdominal pain, liver enlargement, and abnormal liver function. About 50% of patients have splenomegaly. Severe cases may cause coma, convulsions and acute renal failure. If rescue is not timely, severe cases often die within 1 to 2 days.

Does broad bean poisoning have anything to do with dosage? The illness has little to do with the amount of broad beans eaten. Sometimes you may get sick even if you only eat a few. If you experience symptoms of hemolysis after eating broad beans, go to the hospital for medical treatment immediately. In your diet afterwards, be careful to avoid foods such as fresh broad beans or raw and processed broad bean products. Some scholars also believe that the onset of favism may be related to other factors. The incidence rate is higher when eating fresh tender broad beans than when eating cooked broad beans. The incidence rate is also high when eating too much at one time or eating too much continuously. In addition, favism does not only occur after eating broad beans. Camphor balls containing naphthalene, sulfonamides, furan drugs, etc. can all cause favism.

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