The reasoning: neurolathyrism
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Food | *Lathyrus sativus* (khesari dal, grass pea): drought‑resistant, cheap |
| Toxin | β‑ODAP (BOAA: β‑oxalyl amino alanine), an excitotoxin (glutamate analogue) |
| Who | Young adult men (15–45), poor labourers, when khesari forms > 30% of the diet for 2–6 months; sometimes paid in khesari as wages |
| Stages | Latent → no‑stick (spastic gait) → one‑stick → two‑stick → crawler |
| Clinical | Spastic paraplegia (upper motor neurone), irreversible; osteolathyrism (skeletal, Lathyrus odoratus) in animals |
| Regions | Historically Madhya Pradesh (Rewa, Satna), Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh |
| Prevention | Steeping in hot water (removes ≈ 90% of toxin), parboiling, sun‑drying after soaking; vitamin C supplementation (some evidence); low‑toxin varieties (Ratan, Prateek, Mahateora); food security; ban on sale (PFA 1961; later relaxation debated); education |