What’s really hiding in your food?

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"We have met the enemy, and he is us" - Walt Kelly.

The human tendency towards self-destruction often takes on gigantic proportions. Since agriculture is one of the main sources of our food, due to the constant race for increased profits among large corporations, it is also one of the main sources of our diseases.

Pesticides: Farmers use pesticides for different reasons:

• To fight plant diseases

• To kill insects that harm crops

• To get rid of weeds

• To control how plants grow

Effects of pesticides.

When we eat too many pesticides over time, it can cause serious health issues:

1. Damage to our nervous system including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism ⁽¹⁾

2. Abnormal cell growth

3. Cancer, asthma, diabetes, neurodevelopmental disorders, and reproductive issues ⁽²⁾

4. Pesticides have also been associated with various cancers, including leukemia, brain tumors, and breast cancer ⁽³⁾

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has found that some pesticides can cause cancer. These include maneb, diazinon, tetrachlorvinphos, and parathion. ⁽⁴⁾

How pesticides might cause cancer:

• By damaging DNA directly

• By changing how genes work

• By harming parts of cells that make energy or process proteins

• By disrupting how cells maintain balance

Ways to reduce pesticides in food:

• Rinsing with tap water for 20 minutes only removes 26.7-62.9% of pesticides.

• Using sodium carbonate or baking soda can remove 66.7-98.9% of pesticides.

• Storing food at cold temperatures (0-32°F) can reduce pesticides by 60.9-90.2%.

• Cleaning with ultrasound for 20 minutes can remove 49.8-84.4% of pesticides from cucumbers.

• Using ozone can remove pesticides from vegetables without changing how they look, feel, or taste. ^(5,6)

• Ozone works best on lemons and grapefruits, removing up to 98.6% of some pesticides.

• Washing peas with alkaline electrolyzed water AlEW (pH = 12,2) for 45 minutes can remove 48-85% of pesticides. ⁽⁷⁾

Challenges in removing pesticides. No one method works for all vegetables. 

For example: ⁽⁸⁾

Cucumbers: Alkaline solutions work best, such as AlEW, micron calcium, and sodium bicarbonate solution

Spinach: Oxidizing solutions work best

The effectiveness of cleaning solutions surpassed tap water. Washing with tap water only removes 10-40% of pesticides from spinach and kumquats.

Best cleaning methods.

For kumquats and cucumbers: Use alkaline electrolyzed water, micron calcium solution, or activated oxygen solution.

For spinach: Use baking soda solution, ozonated water, or activated oxygen solution.

Every year, a group called the Environmental Working Group tests common foods for pesticides. They make two lists:

Organic food benefits: People who eat a lot of organic food might have a lower risk of getting breast cancer and a type called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. ⁽⁹⁾

What do you do if you can't use organic?

Some supplements might help protect against pesticide effects.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus - is a type of gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic lactobacterium that is part of the normal gut microflora. Animal studies show reduced toxicity of organophosphates. They are available as dietary supplements. 

In humans, L. rhamnosus also shows a reduction in the bioaccumulation of mercury and arsenic.

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) - might protect sperm from damage caused by pesticides.

Quercetin - might help protect the brain from pesticide effects.

If you decide to use supplements, consult your doctor first.

You can find more information about quercetin in foods by looking at a flavonoid guide.👇

By comparing this with the Dirty Dozen list and pesticide removal methods, you can try to reduce the impact of pesticides on your health.

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Warm regards,
Kos, healthy living researcher.

P.S. We are reading all your replies and responding promptly. Feel free to email me with any questions or comments you have.