Dangers of pesticides in fruits

We often hear that organic food is better than processed food for a couple of reason but is it an accurate statement?

When we are shopping at the supermarket for food, we don’t have the chance to see how the fruits or veggies have grown. In most cases, the consumer does not want to know as he has heard of too many stories about pesticides and fertilizer over dosage in the agriculture industry. However some media tried to alarm us about pesticides, this is for a good reason.

The synthetic pesticides that are used by farmers are designed to kill all form of life so the farmers don’t have to worry about pests that could decrease their productivity.

There are many problems that aroused from the massive use of pesticides in our current economy:

• Chemical pesticides can threaten human health: Remember that pesticides work like poison and kill many insects. We are spraying poison over products that are supposed to be eaten. Even if you wash your veggies very carefully, nothing says that the vegetable is full of pesticide residues.
• The study of DDT, a pesticide that was banned in the 70^th, shows that it increased the risks of having cancer and greatly reduces the immune systems, causing respiratory problems and central nervous system disorder.
• The environmental effect is also a big problem created by the use of pesticides. The pesticides changed the eco environment and some animal species find themselves without insects to feed on them. It could result in changes in the food chain with consequences we don’t know at the moment.

Nowadays, pesticide spraying is strictly controlled but you should avoid eating some fruits and veggies that keep a lot of pesticide residues in them.

If you can’t afford to buy organic fruits, here a list of fruits to avoid:

• Peaches: Unfortunately, this mighty fruit is often found with incredibly high amount of pesticides when grown non organically. This sis due to the fact that peaches contain a lot of water and pesticides get stuck more easily in its skin.
• Strawberries: Strawberries are a special fruit as they require a lot of fertilizer to grow. When they are grown organically, it is known that after 3 years of growing strawberries, the soil is emptied of nutrients because strawberries deplete soil nutrients very fast. Moreover, strawberries grow on the floor and are therefore the target of many insects like limaces. Therefore strawberries growers often use a mix of chemical fertilizer and insecticides to grow this fruit. It is not recommended to consume non organic strawberries because of the high pesticide levels that can’t be removed even by washing the fruits.
• Apples: Everyone loves an apple but you should go for organic apples if you have the choice. Apples grow well in wet environment as they need a lot of water and they are threatened by fungi and pests of all sorts. In most cases, the farmers will apply the product directly on the apple to avoid contamination.
• Grapes grown outside the U.S are often sprayed with unreasonable amounts of pesticides. US grown grapes should normally be less polluted by pesticides than the foreign ones because of regulation.

We think that we should support the growth of organic agriculture by buying those products instead of the conventional products we find in supermarkets. Cancer caused by pesticides intensive usage can cost you a lot more than buying organic food instead of non organic in the long term. As for retirement planning, it is better to make the right choice earlier than later.

Popularity: 29% [?]

No related articles