Vitamin C and shrimp myth debunked by Thai authorities

Fake news about the dangers of consuming vitamin C with shrimp, claiming it causes sudden death, has caused widespread panic online. The Anti-Fake News Centre in Thailand previously debunked this myth, confirming it as false information.

The online community is once again abuzz with panic over the false information that eating shrimp with vitamin C causes sudden death due to arsenic. The Anti-Fake News Centre in Thailand, after consulting with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Ministry of Public Health, confirmed that there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.

The agency clarified that while shrimp contains arsenic compounds, they are in an organic form that is non-toxic to humans and present in such minute quantities that they pose no health risk.

When consumed, the stomach acid breaks down these compounds and there is no evidence to suggest that vitamin C can convert these compounds into a toxic form of arsenic. Therefore, it is safe to consume shrimp along with vitamin C. However, it is advisable to purchase ingredients from reputable sources and to clean them properly to avoid any contamination.

A heavy metal, arsenic can naturally occur in soil and water, leading to potential contamination in the food chain. Acute arsenic poisoning can result in symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, chest tightness, severe abdominal pain, unconsciousness, and even death. Chronic exposure can cause heart, liver, kidney, and intestinal issues, as well as skin lesions, capillary expansion, and skin cancer.

A biology professor at Chulalongkorn University, Dr Jessada Denduangboripant, also addressed this issue on Facebook, reinforcing the debunked myth.

“If eating shrimp with vitamin C could cause death due to arsenic, then consuming dishes like tom yum goong, som tam with shrimp, or shrimp with seafood dipping sauce would have resulted in mass casualties by now.”

His post emphasises that no scientific report supports the claim that the combination of shrimp and vitamin C can create a toxic form of arsenic, reported Sanook.