The past 50 years has seen a revolution for consumers, with the rise of increased use of chemicals for pest control. In the USA alone over a billion pounds of pesticides and herbicides are added to crops. Experts estimate that only about 2% actually serve the purpose they are meant for, with the rest being absorbed into the water, soil and foods. Most of the pesticides used are synthetic chemicals, and their safety should be seriously considered for their long term health risks. The average person in Europe consumes 280g of pesticides in the food they eat each year, these chemicals are fat rather than water soluble, meaning they are not easily eliminated and build up in the tissues over time. Obviously a number of these pesticides especially in combination are carcinogenic. With the fears about adulterated products and produce and the effect of intensive farming on the environment it little wonder that more and more people are turning to natural alternatives and organic foods, here we look at some of the foods that studies show are affected by pesticides.
Root vegetables Because root vegetables grow below the surface of the soil, pesticide seepage is greater and tests frequently find higher levels of pesticides, than on produce which grows on bushes or trees.
Baby foods show that parents that switch from conventional to organic baby foods, make the pesticides in the urine disappear within a few days, studies have also found that infants who eat organic dairy foods are less likely to develop eczema.
Apples The soil association say, the average industrial produced apple may have been sprayed up to 16 times with 30 different chemicals to choose from, by choosing organic, it removes the chemical cocktail that you are ingesting.
Berries, plums, peaches and kiwi. These fruits are higher in polyphenols than any other fruits, which help to protect plants from stress and disease and they also provide us with disease protecting effects when we them. The thinking is that non organic plants do not produce as many of these polyphones as pesticides reduce the need to. Studies measured kiwis and peaches and found those that are organically grown, contained up to 5 times more polyphenol content, soft fruit also routinely tops the list of fruits with the higher pesticide residual.
Chocolate Has been found to contain traces of the pesticide lindane which is a carcinogenic, according to cancer expert Dr Etienne Callebout, lindane is often found in women with breast cancer. Although the use of lindane is banned on European crops much of the cocoa used to produce chocolate bars is grown in developing countries with no such restrictions, buying organic is the only way to guarantee your chocolate is linden free.