Poorly preserved grains can produce dangerous toxins that cause serious joint degeneration.

Grains can easily get moldy in unsafe storage conditions. (Illustration image created by AI)

This is the result of an international study conducted by scientists from Sechenov Medical University (Russia) in collaboration with experts from China, Brazil and the US.

T-2 is one of the most potent toxins in the trichothecene family, capable of causing immunosuppression, cell damage, and destruction of connective tissue. Exposure often occurs silently, through meals containing moldy grains without being recognized.

T-2 toxin can enter the human body through foods such as bread and cereal products.

What is worrying is that T-2 is not only harmful but has also been identified as a cartilage-destroying agent, a factor that may be directly related to the development of Kashin-Beck disease (a chronic form of osteochondrodystrophy commonly found in areas with selenium-deficient soil and contamination by moldy grains).

According to the research team, the analysis results show that selenium deficiency - an essential micronutrient - aggravates the negative effects of T-2 toxin on the body, especially the skeletal system.

This conclusion reinforces the recommendation for selenium supplementation for communities living in high-risk areas where cereals are susceptible to mold due to poor storage conditions and where soils are naturally deficient in selenium.