Today we examine an internet warning regarding the alleged dangers of ingesting Vitamin C with shrimp.
It’s a Hoax.
Let’s first take a look at one version of the warning which has circulated online for over a decade:
“YOU MAY POISON YOURSELF ACCIDENTALLY (I didn’t know this myself)
A woman suddenly died unexpectedly with signs of bleeding from her ears, nose, mouth & eyes. After a preliminary autopsy it was diagnosed that death was due to arsenic poisoning. Where did the arsenic come from? The police launched an in-depth and extensive investigation. A medical school professor was invited to come to solve the case. The professor carefully looked at the contents from the corpse. In less than half an hour, the mystery was solved. The professor said: ‘The deceased did not commit suicide and neither was she murdered, she died of accidental death due to ignorance!’
Everyone was puzzled, why accidental death? The professor said: ‘The arsenic was produced in the stomach of the deceased.’ The deceased used to take ‘Vitamin C’ everyday, which in itself is not a problem. The problem was that she ate a large portion of shrimp/prawn during dinner. Eating shrimp/prawn is not the problem that’s why nothing happened to her family even though they had the same shrimp/prawn. However at the same time the deceased also took ‘vitamin C’, that is where the problem was! Researchers at the University of Chicago in the United States, found through experiments, food such as soft-shell contain much higher concentration of five potassium arsenic compounds. Such fresh food by itself has no toxic effects on the human body. However, in taking ‘vitamin C, chemical reaction occurs and the original non-toxic elements change to toxic elements. Arsenic poisoning has magma role and can cause paralysis to the small blood vessels. Therefore, a person who dies of arsenic poisoning will show signs of bleeding from the ears, nose, mouth & eyes. Thus as a precautionary measure, DO NOT eat shrimp/prawn when taking ‘vitamin C’.”
This warning is somtimes accompanied by a gory photo of a woman’s bloody face. This photograph is actually a cropped image from a video showing the final moments of a 26 year-old Iranian woman named Neda Agha-Soltan who was shot to death at an Iranian election protest in 2009. It is not, as the warning implies, a picture of a woman who is bleeding from the ears, nose, mouth, and eyes due to arsenic poisoning from ingesting a combination of shrimp and vitamin C.
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element that is particularly poisonous to multicellular life (including humans). There are, however, two kinds of arsenic: organic and inorganic. At very low levels organic arsenic is not considered as toxic as inorganic arsenic, which is associated with a variety of health problems. The FDA issued a press release in 2013 regarding safe levels of arsenic in apple juice. Regarding inorganic arsenic, the FDA writes:
Inorganic arsenic may be found in foods because it is present in the environment, both as a naturally occurring mineral and because of activity such as past use of arsenic-containing pesticides. A known carcinogen, inorganic arsenic also has been associated with skin lesions, developmental effects, cardiovascular disease, neurotoxicity, and diabetes.
According to a World Health Organization (WHO) fact sheet on arsenic, “Inorganic arsenic compounds (such as those found in water) are highly toxic while organic arsenic compounds (such as those found in seafood) are less harmful to health.”
In addition, the WHO fact sheet lists symptoms of both acute arsenic poisoning and long term exposure to arsenic. While sudden arsenic poisoning can be fatal, this is only limited to severe cases. The following are listed as symptoms of acute arsenic poisoning (note that bleeding from the ears, nose, eyes, and mouth is not mentioned):
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Numbness/tingling of extremities
- Muscle cramping
Long term exposure (considered a minimum of about 5 years) to inorganic arsenic can lead to development of lung, bladder, and skin cancer. First symptoms are usually seen in the skin, and may manifest as pigmentation changes, hard patches, and lesions on the bottom of the feet. Again, no mention of bleeding from the ears, nose, eyes, and mouth as mentioned in the hoaxed warning.
Shrimp
According to the American Cancer Society, seafood, rice, rice cereal, mushrooms, and poultry may contain a certain amount of organic arsenic. At high levels of exposure, arsenic is a known carcinogen (in other words, it can cause cancer), yet the organic arsenic present within seafood and shellfish is not thought to be strongly linked with cancer.
The origination of the “vitamin C + shrimp” myth may have come from a 1985 research study carried out by the University Illinois that was covered by the Chicago Tribune. In the brief article, it is claimed that large doses of vitamin C may convert certain arsenic compounds found within shrimp into trivalent arsenic. However, the article doesn’t say that this can cause acute arsenic poisoning, but implies that repeatedly eating shrimp combined with large doses of vitamin C might increase the risk of cancer over time. Not much information is provided by the article, and it is entirely possible that the study was flawed in some major way. The lack of information also begs a number of important questions, such as how much vitamin C is considered to be a large dose.
It should also be noted that this is only one study from 1985, and we have heard no additional reliable information or corroboration regarding this subject since then.
Bottom Line
Warnings regarding sudden death from ingesting shrimp with vitamin C are baseless. This claim is not supported by any evidence, and the anecdotal story used in the warning above appears to be completely fabricated, and is sometime accompanied by a photo depicting an unrelated event. The idea behind this myth may have come from a single 1985 study claiming that eating shrimp along with large doses of vitamin C may increase risk of cancer over time. No further information has come out confirming the results of this study, and it is possible that the design of the original study was inadequate.
Revised November 6, 2015
Originally published August 2013
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