8 Horrifying things Pesticide does to your body
8 Horrifying things Pesticide does to your body
By Arlene Gentallan
"With great quantity comes less quality." Pesticide's worldwide use to increase production of fruits and vegetables feeds many at the cost of their own health.
Pesticide poisons everything. It doesn't just kill pest and bugs, but it also poisons our air, water, and soil. Harmful chemicals are then passed on to supposedly healthy fruits and vegetables. Although you can wash away pesticide on the outer surface of those produce, you can't remove chemicals already absorbed inside.
Pesticide content of a fruit or vegetable may vary from small to large amount depending on where it came from.
While eating fruits and vegetables with minimal pesticide residue may not show cause symptoms right away, long term consumption can lead to serious health effects:
1. Cancer & Tumor
Pesticide contains many toxic compounds which are carcinogens. It promotes tumor and cancer growth. Pesticide exposure has been associated with brain cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
2. Alzheimer disease
In a study by Richardson, Roy, Shalat, et al., result shows that people exposed to pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer disease.
3. Learning problem in children
We encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetables, but they are particularly vulnerable to the damaging effect of pesticide. Exposure to pesticide may result to cognitive problems such as difficulty learning and concentrating.
4. Diabetes
In a study by Evangelou, Ntritsos, Chondrogiorgi, et al, result shows that people exposed to organochlorine pesticides have increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes
5. Parkinson's disease
In a study by Ascherio, Chen, Weisskopf, et all., result shows that exposure to small amount of pesticide for a long period of time may increase a person's risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
6. Reproductive abnormality
Exposure to pesticide decreases sperm quantity and quality! Now, that's not a good starting point as a parent.
7. Genetic abnormality
Pregnant women exposed to pesticide have increases their baby's chance of developing genetic disorder such as Down syndrome.
8. Work related exposure is Dangerous
Occupational exposure to pesticide can result in headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. People who directly engage in pesticide application are at higher risk of developing cancer.
What should you do?
1. Buy certified organic produce to make sure you're there's no pesticide in what you eat.
2. Minimize pesticide content of fruits and vegetables:
Which produce has the most pesticide content?
The EWG ranks fresh produce based on their pesticide content. Below are the fruits and vegetables with top ranks in terms of residual pesticide content. (U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration)
Pesticide Facts:
Pesticide & Suicide: Pesticides so lethal that it is use by people around the world to commit suicide.
References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9498903
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2231435/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1241650/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3907644/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4688301/
https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list.php
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24473795
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26909814
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16802290
By Arlene Gentallan
 |
| 8 Horrifying things Pesticide does to your body |
"With great quantity comes less quality." Pesticide's worldwide use to increase production of fruits and vegetables feeds many at the cost of their own health.
Pesticide poisons everything. It doesn't just kill pest and bugs, but it also poisons our air, water, and soil. Harmful chemicals are then passed on to supposedly healthy fruits and vegetables. Although you can wash away pesticide on the outer surface of those produce, you can't remove chemicals already absorbed inside.
Pesticide content of a fruit or vegetable may vary from small to large amount depending on where it came from.
While eating fruits and vegetables with minimal pesticide residue may not show cause symptoms right away, long term consumption can lead to serious health effects:
1. Cancer & Tumor
Pesticide contains many toxic compounds which are carcinogens. It promotes tumor and cancer growth. Pesticide exposure has been associated with brain cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
2. Alzheimer disease
In a study by Richardson, Roy, Shalat, et al., result shows that people exposed to pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer disease.
3. Learning problem in children
We encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetables, but they are particularly vulnerable to the damaging effect of pesticide. Exposure to pesticide may result to cognitive problems such as difficulty learning and concentrating.
4. Diabetes
In a study by Evangelou, Ntritsos, Chondrogiorgi, et al, result shows that people exposed to organochlorine pesticides have increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes
5. Parkinson's disease
In a study by Ascherio, Chen, Weisskopf, et all., result shows that exposure to small amount of pesticide for a long period of time may increase a person's risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
6. Reproductive abnormality
Exposure to pesticide decreases sperm quantity and quality! Now, that's not a good starting point as a parent.
7. Genetic abnormality
Pregnant women exposed to pesticide have increases their baby's chance of developing genetic disorder such as Down syndrome.
8. Work related exposure is Dangerous
Occupational exposure to pesticide can result in headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. People who directly engage in pesticide application are at higher risk of developing cancer.
What should you do?
1. Buy certified organic produce to make sure you're there's no pesticide in what you eat.
2. Minimize pesticide content of fruits and vegetables:
- Rinse fresh produce with any of the following: mixture of salt and water, or mixture of vinegar and water.
- Peeling it. The skin of a fruit or vegetable can contain more pesticide. Peeling it off will remove chemical residues on the surface which otherwise is not removed by washing.
- Cook it. Heating degrades certain chemicals in food.
Which produce has the most pesticide content?
The EWG ranks fresh produce based on their pesticide content. Below are the fruits and vegetables with top ranks in terms of residual pesticide content. (U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration)
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Celery
- Grapes
- Cherries
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Sweet bell peppers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Snap peas - imported
- Blueberries - domestic
- Potatoes
Pesticide Facts:
Pesticide & Suicide: Pesticides so lethal that it is use by people around the world to commit suicide.
References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9498903
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2231435/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1241650/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3907644/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4688301/
https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list.php
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24473795
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26909814
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16802290
