Crops struggling against drought, high temperatures and heavy rainfall are prone to become more toxic, according to a United Nations agency.
A new report from the UN Environment Programme says that staple foods like wheat, corn, soybeans and barley concentrate toxins when exposed to extreme weather.
Plants growing in prolonged drought accumulate nitrates instead of converting them to proteins and amino acids.
Nitrates can hamper vital oxygen-carrying abilities of red blood cells.
The report also said torrential rains, a side effects of rising global temperatures, spur fast growth in crops like cassava, flax, maize and sorghum – causing them to accumulate hydrogen cyanide.
The chemical, also known as prussic acid, can also hamper oxygen flow in the human body.