Aflatoxin causes stunting

Consumption of foods heavily contaminated with aflatoxins (toxic and carcinogenic fungal metabolites) is associated with stunting and being underweight. Gong and colleagues (p 20) examined the association between exposure to aflatoxin and growth in children in Benin and Togo, West Africa. The association between aflatoxin exposure and impaired growth, the authors say, could be due to aflatoxin toxicity or to consumption of food affected by fungus and of poor nutritional quality.

(Credit: TRYGVE BOLSTAD/PANOS)

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