Cassava: yellow roots for vitamin A, processing against cyanide

Most of the trial evidence on cassava is about one bred variety. Yellow cassava is biofortified with provitamin A, and it is the cassava in the vitamin A studies below. In a randomized trial in 176 Nigerian preschool children, eating yellow cassava for 17 weeks lifted median vitamin A intake to 536 micrograms RAE a day, against 301 with white cassava. Below the average requirement were 9 percent of children in the yellow group and 29 percent in the white group. That trial measured intake, not vitamin A in the body. In 342 Kenyan schoolchildren with marginal vitamin A status, 18.5 weeks of yellow cassava raised serum retinol by 0.04 micromol per liter, with a confidence interval of 0.00 to 0.07 that touches zero. The ordinary white root in food tables carries only a trace of carotene and zero retinol equivalents per 3.5 oz (100 g), which is why the yellow varieties were bred. The other side of cassava is cyanide, and the root has to be processed before it is eaten. EFSA set an acute limit of 20 micrograms of cyanide per kg of body weight. For raw root at 235 mg cyanide per kg, the highest level it found in sweet cassava sold in Europe, 0.7 to 8.5 g reaches that limit, the lower figure for toddlers. The raw row in the food table below is a composition record, not a way to eat the root. Grating, pounding or soaking for several days, then fermenting and roasting, can remove more than 90 percent of the cyanogens, EFSA reports. A systematic review names cyanide from cassava and protein malnutrition as the two well documented risk factors for konzo, a permanent paralysis of the legs. Observational studies have not shown that cyanide causes it.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• In an RCT in 176 Nigerian preschool children, yellow cassava for 17 weeks lifted median vitamin A intake to 536 ug RAE per day versus 301 ug with white cassava. — 176 Nigerian pre-school children, white vs yellow cassava for 17 weeks (n = 176) Evidence B source
  Median RAE intake 536 vs 301 ug/d (P < 0.0001), below EAR 9% vs 29%
• In a 2024 national survey in Madagascar, cassava leaves and roots were among the main calcium sources in diets where over 96% had inadequate intake. — children, adolescents and women of reproductive age, all 23 regions of Madagascar Evidence C source
  Inadequate calcium intake above 96% in every group
• Raw cassava root holds 31 mg of vitamin C per 3.5 oz (100 g) in the UK table and 20.6 mg in the USDA record, and ordinary white root carries only trace carotene with zero retinol equivalents. — CoFID 2021 record 13-208 Cassava, raw, and USDA SR Legacy FDC 169985 Cassava, raw (n = 2 records) Evidence E source
  Vitamin C 31 mg (CoFID) vs 20.6 mg (USDA) per 3.5 oz (100 g), a 34% gap; carotene trace, retinol equivalent 0 ug; energy 142 calories, starch 35.3 g, potassium 330 mg
• Across 8 USDA samples of cassava flour, iron ranged from 0.3 to 19.5 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) around a median of 1.1 mg, so one flour can carry many times the iron of another. — USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, Flour, cassava, 8 samples (n = 8 samples) Evidence E source
  Iron 0.306 to 19.5 mg (median 1.075), calcium 28.1 to 224 mg (median 60.65), total dietary fiber 3.01 to 11.6 g (median 7.915) per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• The US dietary survey counts one cup of cooked cassava as 160 g and an unspecified portion as 80 g. — FNDDS food Cassava, cooked, code 71930120, WWEIA category Other starchy vegetables Evidence E source
  1 cup = 160 g; quantity not specified = 80 g

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover trial in 10 American women, about 4.2 to 4.5 ug of beta-carotene from biofortified cassava yielded 1 ug of retinol, with or without added oil. — 10 healthy American women, three test meals with 100 g cassava, 2-week washouts (n = 10) Evidence B source
  Conversion 4.2 (SD 3.1) with oil and 4.5 (SD 3.1) ug beta-carotene per 1 ug retinol without oil

What cooking and storage change

• A case report describes konzo, a permanent paralysis of the legs, arising mostly in droughts when too little water prevents soaking bitter cassava to remove cyanide. — rural sub-Saharan populations relying on bitter cassava (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Permanent spastic paraparesis, no curative treatment
• Observational data from 217 Tanzanian women in an iodine-deficient area link frequent milling of cassava with lower urinary thiocyanate. — 217 women in an iodine deficiency endemic area of western Tanzania, 98% eating cassava daily (n = 217) Evidence C source
  Lower urinary thiocyanate with frequent milling (mean overall 128 umol/L)
• Laboratory data from a review of 67 articles suggest biofortified provitamin A crops including cassava keep high amounts after processing compared with ordinary varieties. — 67 articles on seven biofortified crops including cassava (n = 67 articles) Evidence D source
  Provitamin A retained at higher amounts than in non-biofortified counterparts
• In the UK table boiled cassava has 17 mg of vitamin C per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 31 mg raw, and folate falls from 19 to 11 ug. — CoFID 2021 records 13-208 Cassava, raw and 13-210 Cassava, boiled in unsalted water (n = 2 records) Evidence E source
  Vitamin C 31 to 17 mg, folate 19 to 11 ug, potassium 330 to 260 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g); iron 0.50 mg unchanged
• Under the USDA retention table for root vegetables, boiling in a little water and draining keeps 70% of vitamin C and folate, while baking keeps 75% and 80%. — USDA retention factors for the group Vegetables and Vegetable Products, root vegetables rows, which apply to cassava by group Evidence E source
  Boiled, little water, drained (3454): vitamin C 70%, folate 70%, thiamin 85%, potassium 90%; baked (3451): vitamin C 75%, folate 80%, thiamin 90%, potassium 100%
• EFSA reports that grating, pounding or soaking cassava for several days, followed by fermentation and roasting, can remove more than 90% of its cyanogens. Traditional edible products usually keep only about 2% of the cyanide in the raw root. — traditional cassava processing methods reviewed by EFSA Evidence E source
  Crushing, pounding or grating, or soaking for several days, then fermentation and roasting can remove more than 90% of cyanogens; edible products usually keep about 2% of the cyanide in the raw root

What it does to your health

• In an RCT in 342 Kenyan schoolchildren, eating yellow biofortified cassava for 18.5 weeks raised serum retinol by 0.04 umol/L. — 342 Kenyan children aged 5-13 y with marginal vitamin A status, 6 d/wk for 18.5 wk (n = 342) Evidence B source
  Serum retinol +0.04 umol/L (95% CI 0.00, 0.07), serum beta-carotene +524% (448%, 608%)
• In a 3-month trial in 43 Indonesian adolescent girls with anemia, iron-fortified cassava flour cookies did not raise hemoglobin more than control cookies. — adolescent girls with anemia in an Indonesian boarding school, 56 randomized, 43 analyzed, 3 months (n = 43) Evidence B source
  No significant between-group difference in hemoglobin (ANCOVA)

Safety, limits and interactions

• In 20 volunteers eating 7.1 oz (200 g) of boiled cassava leaves twice a day for 12 days, thyroid hormones and urinary iodine fell by day 9. — 20 volunteers in Malaysia, 200 g boiled cassava leaves twice daily for 12 days (n = 20) Evidence C source
  T3 and T4 significantly lower by 9 days, urinary iodine decreased
• EFSA considers its acute reference dose for cyanide over-conservative for most foods because their cyanide is less bioavailable, but not for cassava roots, raw apricot kernels or bitter almonds. — general population, EU risk assessment Evidence E source
  ARfD applies to cassava roots without a bioavailability discount
• EFSA set an acute reference dose of 20 mcg of cyanide per kg of body weight and concluded in 2019 that it protects against acute effects of cyanide from cyanogenic glycosides whatever the food it comes from. — all age groups, EU risk assessment Evidence E source
  Acute reference dose 20 mcg cyanide per kg body weight, applicable whatever the food
• For raw cassava root with 235 mg cyanide per kg, the highest level found in 'sweet' cassava sold in Europe, EFSA calculates that 0.7 to 8.5 g reaches the acute limit depending on body weight. At the Codex limits the same happens with 3.1 to 35 oz (87 to 1,000 g) of gari or 0.6 to 7.1 oz (17 to 200 g) of cassava flour. — toddlers to adults, by body weight, EU back-calculation Evidence E source
  Raw root at 235 mg CN/kg reaches the ARfD at 0.7 to 8.5 g; gari at the Codex limit of 2 mg/kg at 87 to 1,000 g; cassava flour at 10 mg/kg at 17 to 200 g
• EFSA lists the signs of acute cyanide poisoning in people as headache, vertigo, agitation, slowed breathing, metabolic acidosis, confusion, coma, convulsions and death. — humans with acute cyanide poisoning Evidence E source
  Headache, vertigo, agitation, respiratory depression, metabolic acidosis, confusion, coma, convulsions, death
• Since 2022 EU law caps hydrocyanic acid, including the part bound in cyanogenic glycosides, at 50 mg per kg in fresh peeled cassava root and 10 mg per kg in cassava and tapioca flour. The stated reason is that cassava high in these compounds could exceed EFSA's acute limit. — foods placed on the EU market Evidence E source
  Hydrocyanic acid at most 50 mg/kg in fresh peeled cassava root and 10 mg/kg in cassava flour and tapioca flour
• In a 2015 outbreak in the Philippines, 14 people fell ill and 2 died after a meal of insufficiently prepared bitter cassava containing 68.94 mcg of cyanide per gram. Eating the cassava carried a relative risk of 208. — residents of one compound in Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur, Philippines, October 2015 (n = 14) Evidence C source
  14 cases, 2 deaths (case fatality 14%); bitter cassava with 68.94 ug/g cyanide; RR 208 (95% CI 19.94 to 2169.32) for eating the cassava
• A Nigerian case series describes three patients who vomited and had abdominal pain right after a meal of gari, a cassava product, and died soon after hospital admission with blood cyanide averaging 1.12 mg per liter. — three patients admitted to Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, after a gari meal (n = 3) Evidence D source
  Vomiting and abdominal pain right after the meal, coma, renal failure, death; blood cyanide 1.12 mg/l on average

What people believe that the data does not support

• A systematic review of 34 studies lists antidiabetic, anticancer and cholesterol-lowering activity for cassava but says isolation and further studies are needed to validate it. — 34 studies screened from 1582 (n = 34 studies) Evidence D source
  Claimed pharmacological activities, not validated in humans

Who this works differently for

• EFSA reports thyroid disorders from cassava cyanogens in populations eating poorly processed cassava with low iodine and low protein intake. — populations eating poorly detoxified cassava Evidence E source
  Thyroid disorders limited to iodine- and protein-deficient settings
• In Congolese children aged 12 to 48 months, household cassava flour held on average 52 ppm of cyanogens, five times the WHO cut-off of 10 ppm. Observational data link higher flour cyanide with lower fine motor and neurodevelopment scores even without paralysis. — children aged 12 to 48 months and their mothers in the Democratic Republic of Congo Evidence C source
  Household flour cyanogens mean 52.18 ppm against the WHO cut-off of 10 ppm; flour cyanide associated with lower fine motor and neurodevelopment scores, coefficients -0.08 to -0.15

What is still unknown

• A systematic review links konzo to cyanide from cassava and protein malnutrition, but observational studies have not shown that cyanide causes it. — published konzo studies, PubMed and Web of Science, PRISMA Evidence C source
  Risk factors identified, causality not demonstrated
• In two Congolese cohorts, people with konzo had lower plasma glutathione peroxidase 3, while the mechanisms triggering the disease remain unknown. — Congolese discovery cohort (n = 60) and validation cohort (n = 204), 10 years apart (n = 264) Evidence C source
  GPx3 lower in konzo-affected in both cohorts

The bottom line

Raw white cassava is mostly starch. The UK table gives 142 calories, 35.3 g of starch and 330 mg of potassium per 3.5 oz (100 g). For vitamin C the UK table says 31 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) and the USDA record says 20.6 mg, one record each, so the gap is spread between sources. Boiling lowers it. In UK records for the same root, vitamin C goes from 31 to 17 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) and folate from 19 to 11 micrograms, and part of that fall is water the root takes up in the pot. The USDA retention table for boiled and drained root vegetables keeps 70 percent of vitamin C and folate, and baking keeps 75 and 80 percent. Those factors are set for the food group from 1975 data, not measured on cassava, and they say nothing about removing cyanide. Cassava flour varies a lot. Across 8 USDA samples, iron ran from 0.3 to 19.5 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) around a median of 1.1 mg, and the source of that spread is not stated. The US dietary survey counts a cup of cooked cassava as 160 g, a US measure that sits well below what people eat where cassava is the staple. How well the body uses the provitamin A was measured in 10 healthy American women eating meals with 3.5 oz (100 g) of biofortified cassava. About 4.2 to 4.5 micrograms of beta-carotene yielded 1 microgram of retinol, with or without added oil, in single meals with a very small group. A laboratory review of 67 articles suggests biofortified provitamin A crops keep more after processing than ordinary varieties, without separating cassava from the other crops. Iron is a different story. In 43 Indonesian adolescent girls with anemia, cookies made from iron-fortified cassava flour did not raise hemoglobin more than control cookies over three months, in a small trial with high dropout. The cautions all concern cyanogens. EFSA applies its acute reference dose of 20 micrograms of cyanide per kg of body weight to cassava roots in full, while it considers that dose over-conservative for most other foods because their cyanide is less bioavailable. Its back-calculation is a worst case. At the Codex limits, 3.1 to 35 oz (87 to 1,000 g) of gari or 0.6 to 7.1 oz (17 to 200 g) of cassava flour reaches the limit, depending on body weight. Since 2022 EU law caps hydrocyanic acid at 50 mg per kg in fresh peeled root and 10 mg per kg in cassava and tapioca flour. Those are market limits for sellers, not a safe intake. Traditional processing chains usually leave about 2 percent of the cyanide in the raw root, EFSA reports, and that figure is not about boiling sweet cassava on its own. EFSA lists the signs of acute cyanide poisoning, from any source, as headache, vertigo, agitation, slowed breathing, metabolic acidosis, confusion, coma, convulsions and death. In a 2015 outbreak in the Philippines, 14 people fell ill and 2 died after a meal of insufficiently prepared bitter cassava, though no case was laboratory confirmed. A Nigerian case series describes three patients who died soon after a meal of gari with cyanide in their blood, and the authors say only that cyanide may have been responsible. For young children the data are observational. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, household flour eaten by children aged 12 to 48 months held on average 52 ppm of cyanogens, five times the WHO cut-off of 10 ppm. Higher flour cyanide went with lower fine motor and neurodevelopment scores, in cross-sectional data. A 2026 case report describes konzo arising mostly in dry seasons and droughts, when too little water prevents soaking bitter cassava long enough to remove its cyanide. Among 217 women in an iodine-deficient area of Tanzania, 98 percent of whom ate cassava daily, those who milled it often had lower urinary thiocyanate, in cross-sectional data. In 20 volunteers in Malaysia eating 7.1 oz (200 g) of boiled cassava leaves twice a day, thyroid hormones T3 and T4 were significantly lower by day 9, in a 1993 study of leaves with no control group. EFSA reports thyroid disorders from cassava only where poorly processed cassava meets iodine deficiency and low protein intake. We have no card on allergy, pregnancy or medicines for cassava. The antidiabetic, anticancer and cholesterol-lowering activity claimed for cassava rests on mostly preclinical studies. A systematic review of 34 of them says the compounds still need isolating and testing before any of it is validated. Why konzo starts is still unknown. In two Congolese cohorts of 60 and 204 people, those with konzo had lower plasma glutathione peroxidase 3, a biomarker association only. In a 2024 national survey in Madagascar, cassava leaves and roots were among the main calcium sources in diets where over 96 percent of every group had inadequate intake.

Sources

1. csv-local-r3-03 · RCT
   During intervention, median RAE intake was 536 µg/d in the YC group and 301 µg/d in the WC group (P < 0·0001). YC contributed approximately 40 % to total RAE intake. Of the children, 9 % in the YC group and 29 % in the WC group had RAE intake below the Estimated Average Requirement.
   Br J Nutr, 2021 · checked 2026-09-28
2. csv-local-r3-12 · cross-sectional survey
   The main contributors to calcium intake were cassava leaves, cassava roots, small fresh and dried fish eaten with bones, drinking water across all population groups, and breastmilk in young children.
   Nutrients, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
3. csv-sup-r6-15 · CoFID 2021 and USDA FoodData Central, dataset
   CoFID 13-208 Cassava, raw: Vitamin C 31 mg, Carotene Tr, Retinol Equivalent 0 ug, Energy 142 kcal, Starch 35.3 g, Potassium 330 mg per 100 g; USDA FDC 169985 Cassava, raw: vitamin C 20.6 mg per 100 g
   CoFID 2021 (Public Health England), code 13-208; USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy, FDC 169985 · checked 2026-09-28
4. csv-sup-r6-16 · USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, dataset
   Flour, cassava (Foundation Foods, 8 samples): Iron, Fe 0.306-19.5 mg (median 1.075); Calcium, Ca 28.1-224.0 mg (median 60.65); Total dietary fiber (AOAC) 3.01-11.6 g (median 7.915) per 100 g
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30, Flour, cassava · checked 2026-09-28
5. csv-sup-r6-19 · USDA FNDDS, dataset
   Cassava, cooked (FNDDS 71930120, fdc_id 2709564): 1 cup = 160 g; Quantity not specified = 80 g
   USDA FNDDS, fdc_id 2709564, Cassava, cooked · checked 2026-09-28
6. csv-local-r3-01 · randomized crossover trial
   The study was a randomised, cross-over trial of ten American women. ... Vitamin A conversion was 4·2 (sd 3·1) and 4·5 (sd 3·1) μg β-carotene:1 μg retinol, with and without added oil, respectively.
   Br J Nutr, 2013 · checked 2026-09-28
7. csv-local-r3-06 · case report
   Cases of konzo most often arise during the dry season or prolonged droughts, when limited water availability hinders adequate soaking or processing of cassava roots, preventing the effective removal of their toxic cyanide content prior to consumption.
   BMJ Case Rep, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
8. csv-local-r3-07 · cross-sectional
   Urinary thiocyanate (mean; 128 mumol/l) was moderately increased, but women who frequently milled cassava had significantly lower urinary thiocyanate levels.
   Int J Food Sci Nutr, 1996 · checked 2026-09-28
9. csv-local-r3-10 · systematic review
   Here we conduct a systematic review identifying 67 articles examining the retention of micronutrients in conventionally bred biofortified maize, orange sweet potato, cassava, pearl millet, rice, beans and wheat. Provitamin A crops maintain high amounts compared with non-biofortified counterparts.
   Nat Food, 2023 · checked 2026-09-28
10. csv-sup-r6-17 · CoFID 2021, dataset
    CoFID 13-208 Cassava, raw: Vitamin C 31 mg, Folate 19 ug, Potassium 330 mg, Iron 0.50 mg; CoFID 13-210 Cassava, boiled in unsalted water: Vitamin C 17 mg, Folate 11 ug, Potassium 260 mg, Iron 0.50 mg per 100 g
    CoFID 2021 (Public Health England), codes 13-208 and 13-210 · checked 2026-09-28
11. csv-sup-r6-18 · USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, dataset
    USDA-RETN-R6:3454 VEG,ROOTS,ETC,BLD,DRAIND,LITTLE WTR, group Vegetables and Vegetable Products: vitamin_c_mg 70% retained, folate_total_ug 70%, thiamin_mg 85%, potassium_mg 90%; USDA-RETN-R6:3451 VEG,ROOTS,ETC,BAKED: vitamin_c_mg 75%, folate_total_ug 80%, thiamin_mg 90%, potassium_mg 100%
    USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007, Retn_Codes 3454 and 3451 · checked 2026-09-28
12. hf2-csv-3 · EFSA scientific opinion
    The efficacy of reducing cyanogens and cyanide in cassava roots can be increased to > 90% by mechanical disruption of the plant cells (by crushing, repeated pounding, or grating) or by soaking in water for several days (believed to cause a slow disintegration of the cells), followed by allowing time for fermentation and finally by a roasting step. ... Over time, different combinations of detoxification techniques have been developed in different geographical regions in order to convert raw cassava to edible products, which usually contain only about 2% of the cyanide present in the raw material.
    EFSA CONTAM Panel, Evaluation of the health risks related to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides in foods other than raw apricot kernels, EFSA Journal 2019;17(4):5662 · checked 2026-10-08
13. csv-local-r3-02 · RCT
    We randomly allocated 342 children aged 5-13 y to receive daily, 6 d/wk, for 18.5 wk ... Both yellow cassava and β-carotene supplementation increased serum retinol concentration by 0.04 μmol/L (95% CI: 0.00, 0.07 μmol/L); correspondingly, serum β-carotene concentration increased by 524% (448%, 608%) and 166% (134%, 202%).
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2016 · checked 2026-09-28
14. csv-local-r3-04 · RCT
    Results were obtained in a total of 43 subjects, 27 in the intervention group and 16 in the control group. The intervention was carried out for three months, with cookies provided once a week for consumption over a week. ... Conclusion: the ANCOVA test for haemoglobin levels indicated no significant difference between the groups.
    Nutr Hosp, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
15. csv-local-r3-08 · uncontrolled trial
    Twenty volunteers were given 200 gm of boiled cassava leaves twice a day for 12 consecutive days. Thyroid hormones triiodothyronine and thyroxine were significantly lower by 9 days.
    East Afr Med J, 1993 · checked 2026-09-28
16. csv-local-r3-13 · EFSA scientific opinion
    For exposure to cyanide from foods other than raw apricot kernels, bitter almonds and cassava roots, this ARfD is likely to be over‐conservative because of the lower bioavailability of cyanide from these foods.
    EFSA CONTAM Panel, EFSA Journal 2019 · checked 2026-09-28
17. hf2-csv-1 · EFSA scientific opinion
    The CONTAM Panel concludes that the ARfD of 20 μg CN/kg bw should be protective for acute effects of CN from CNGs, regardless of the dietary source.
    EFSA CONTAM Panel, Evaluation of the health risks related to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides in foods other than raw apricot kernels, EFSA Journal 2019;17(4):5662 · checked 2026-10-08
18. hf2-csv-2 · EFSA scientific opinion
    For raw cassava root, containing 235 mg total cyanide/kg, the ARfD is reached by consumption of 0.7–8.5 g depending on the body weight of the individual ... If gari or cassava flour containing the respective Codex MLs of 2 mg total CN/kg and 10 mg total CN/kg, respectively, are consumed, the ARfD is reached with 87–1,000 g gari and 17–200 g cassava flour.
    EFSA CONTAM Panel, Evaluation of the health risks related to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides in foods other than raw apricot kernels, EFSA Journal 2019;17(4):5662 · checked 2026-10-08
19. hf2-csv-4 · EFSA scientific opinion
    Signs of acute cyanide poisoning in humans include headache, vertigo, agitation, respiratory depression, metabolic acidosis, confusion, coma, convulsions and death.
    EFSA CONTAM Panel, Evaluation of the health risks related to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides in foods other than raw apricot kernels, EFSA Journal 2019;17(4):5662 · checked 2026-10-08
20. hf2-csv-5 · EU regulation
    If certain foods such as linseed, almonds and cassava with high levels of cyanogenic glycosides are consumed, the ARfD for cyanide could be exceeded. ... Maximum level (mg/kg) ... 8.3.5 Cassava root (fresh, peeled) 50 8.3.6 Cassava flour and tapioca flour 10
    Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1364 of 4 August 2022, maximum levels of hydrocyanic acid in certain foodstuffs, OJ L 205/227 · checked 2026-10-08
21. hf2-csv-6 · outbreak investigation
    Fourteen cases with two deaths were identified (case fatality ratio: 14%). All cases consumed cassava on 1 October 2015 except for one child who spat it out. ... The cassava sample had a cyanide level of 68.94 ug/g and was identified as bitter cassava, also known as a potentially dangerous kind. Insufficient food preparation was noted. In the retrospective cohort study, intake of cassava (RR = 208, 95% CI: 19.94-2169.32) was associated with the illness.
    Western Pac Surveill Response J, 2018 · checked 2026-10-08
22. hf2-csv-7 · case series
    Three patients admitted to the Accident and Emergency Unit of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) after eating a cassava based meal 'Gari' died shortly after admission. The patients vomited and complained of abdominal pain immediately after the meal. They were unconscious with renal failure and died of cardiopulmonary arrest. The cyanide levels in the blood and urine averaged 1.12 and 0.54 mg l-1, respectively.
    Hum Exp Toxicol, 1992 · checked 2026-10-08
23. csv-local-r3-11 · systematic review
    However, more studies that aim to isolate the phytochemicals in cassava extracts and evaluate their pharmacological property are necessary to further validate their medical and nutritional values.
    J Evid Based Integr Med, 2023 · checked 2026-09-28
24. csv-local-r3-14 · EFSA scientific opinion
    Thyroid disorders due to CNGs have only been reported in populations eating poorly detoxified cassava in areas of iodine deficiency and under conditions of insufficient protein nutrition.
    EFSA CONTAM Panel, EFSA Journal 2019 · checked 2026-09-28
25. hf2-csv-8 · cross-sectional study
    The mean (SD) and median (IQR) of cyanogen content of cassava household flour were above the WHO cut-off points of 10 ppm (52.18 [32·79]) and 50 (30-50) ppm, respectively. ... After adjusting for biological and socioeconomic predictors at multivariable analyses, fine motor proficiency and child neurodevelopment remained the main predictors associated with the concentration of cyanide in cassava flour: coefficients of -0·08 to -.15 (p < 0·01).
    PLoS One, 2018 · checked 2026-10-08
26. csv-local-r3-05 · systematic review
    Available data show that cassava-derived cyanide poisoning and protein malnutrition constitute two well-documented risk factors of konzo. However, observational studies have failed to demonstrate the causal relationship between konzo and cyanide poisoning.
    Neurotoxicology, 2021 · checked 2026-09-28
27. csv-local-r3-09 · cohort
    Despite understanding the dietary factors that lead to konzo, the molecular markers and mechanisms that trigger this disease remain unknown.
    Nat Commun, 2024 · checked 2026-09-28