Hoax - Eating Shrimp and Taking Vitamin C Can Cause Death by Arsenic Poisoning

Outline

Circulating health message warns recipients not to eat shrimp or prawns while taking vitamin C because it can cause a chemical reaction that can lead to sudden death by arsenic poisoning.

Detailed Analysis

According to this supposed health warning, which has circulated since at least 2001, people who are taking vitamin C should not eat shrimp (prawns) because the two can combine in the body and cause a chemical reaction that leads to sudden and violent death by arsenic poisoning. The message claims that vitamin C can change non-toxic elements in the food to arsenic thereby causing poisoning and death. The message describes an incident in which a woman suddenly died after eating shrimp and taking vitamin C and even includes a photograph supposedly depicting the unfortunate arsenic poisoning victim's bloody face after her demise. 

However, the claims in the message are utter nonsense. The claim that vitamin C can transform non-toxic elements into arsenic and cause death has no factual basis. And, there have been no reported deaths or illnesses related to a supposedly toxic combination of vitamin C and seafood.

Moreover, the picture in this version of the message does not depict an arsenic poisoning victim. In fact, the picture shows the bloodied face of Neda Agha Soltan who was shot and killedduring an election protest in Iran in June, 2009.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring and widely distributed element found in soils and minerals. It is taken in by humans via food, water or air. Seafood is a significant contributor to arsenic in the human diet. However, most arsenic in food is made of less harmful organic forms rather than the more dangerous inorganic form. Make no mistake, arsenic is certainly toxic to humans. Low levels of arsenic exposure can cause many health problems while high exposure can cause death. Nevertheless, vitamin C does not possess properties that allow it to magically transform non-toxic elements into arsenic.

Medical scientists have, in several studies, examined the interactions between vitamin C and arsenic. Ironically, some medical studies have suggested that the administration of vitamin C and other substances combined may actually play a useful, if limited, role in counteracting chronic arsenic toxicity. And other studies have investigated how vitamin C combined with Arsenic Trioxide may increase the effectiveness of the drug as a cancer therapy. But, no credible studies have suggested that vitamin C can actually create arsenic in our bodies by changing the chemical properties of other non-toxic substances. Such claims are more akin to alchemy than science. 

Given the popularity of seafood all around the world combined with the widespread use of vitamin C supplements, if true, such deadly poisoning would be commonplace. If the combination was as deadly as described in the warning, even people who consumed vitamin C from natural sources such as citrus fruit - a fruit that often accompanies seafood - would presumably be experiencing at least some symptoms of arsenic poisoning. But, as noted above, there are no reports of deaths or even illnesses caused by this supposedly deadly combination of vitamin C and seafood. 

And, of course, if the danger was in any way real, warnings about it would not circulate only in the form of a poorly worded and unverified email or social media message. If true, the danger would be very well documented in many medical and media reports.

In short, the message is an absurd hoax. And the perpetrator of this version of the hoax has callously and wilfully used the tragic death of a young woman to make the ridiculous claims in the message seem a little more believable. To have any use at all, circulated medical warnings must contain credible and accurate information that can be confirmed via credible medical resources. Otherwise, they are counterproductive and - in some cases - potentially dangerous. It is important that Internet users always check the veracity of medical warnings they receive before they send them on to others.

If you receive this message, do not pass it on to others. And please take the time to let the sender know that the message is a hoax.