Grass Pea - High Protein Foodstuff or Lethal Weapon

Some call it serendipity, I say this book was sent to me for a reason. Not long ago I was sent fellow garden writer Amy Stewart's new book "Wicked Plants" to review. I was giving it a quick glance before placing it on the pile of new books to read when it fell open at the page on "Deadly Dinners". The word Africa caught my attention because of our family's charity work (The Ronnie Fund) in Kenya. So I began to read and I couldn't believe the text.

Earlier in the year, Ronnie's mother Getrude was afflicted with a strange illness. She suffered an unexplained paralysis in her legs. She simply couldn't walk and her sons even had to carry her up to the outhouse. The doctor in the local hospital in Mwambira District couldn't diagnose the problem, so she was sent to the bigger hospital in Voi. She eventually regained the use of her legs but the problem was never correctly identified.

But as I began to read Amy's chapter on Deadly Dinners highlighting Grass Pea, I knew I had found the answer. Grass Pea or Chickling Vetch is a dietary staple in Africa, India, Asia and the Mediterannean as it is an excellent source of protein and is one of the few crops to survive severe drought. However it does contain a neurotoxin called beta-N-oxaxlyl-diamino propionic acid or beta-ODAP and one of the first signs of beta-ODAP poisoning or lathyrism is weakening of the legs. The toxin kills nerve cells paralyzing the victim from the waist down and without treatment, the victim will die. Wow, I thought, perhaps this could be the source of Getrude's problem.

Further reading suggested that since it was a popular food stuff, it was actually safe when prepared properly. Grass Pea must be soaked for a long time in lots of water or fermented in breads and pancakes. The problem in Africa is that when grown in times of drought, there obviously is not enough water to properly soak the peas, thereby creating a lethal problem.

I immediately e-mailed Ronnie and told him of my findings asking if they grew Grass Pea in Wongonyi Village. The answer was, "Yes Mama, we eat it all the time but I never heard of this problem with the peas. I will contact the local health authorities to make sure they know about this." Amy's book advises, " Today one of the great tragedies of famines in places like Ethiopia and Afghanistan is that the high-protein pea is typically reserved for men to give them strength so that they can feed their families. Instead, it has the opposite effect, reducing them to crawling on their knees (and as one report noted, "Wheelchairs aren't an option for most lathyrism sufferers, as they tend to live in dirt-floor huts"). Even if the drought receded and they stopped eating the peas, they might still be disabled for life."

Hopefully, this new found knowledge, thanks to Amy's book, will help prevent other people in Wongonyi Village and the other villages that Ronnie visits in Kenya to keep healthy by preparing Grass Pea in a safe manner. Thanks Amy!!

If you are working in areas in Kenya that are growing Grass Pea, please ensure that the local residents are advised about this life-threatening toxin. With a little knowledge and safe preparation techniques, Grass Pea can continue to provide a high protein foodstuff to those in need.

Kathy