According to The World Health Organization, pesticides can have acute and chronic health effects depending on the amount and how you’re exposed to it. Are you wondering what you can do to minimize your chances of pesticide poisoning?
In this article, you’ll discover the truth of pesticide poisoning, and how to avoid it. Read on to discover how to avoid these harmful pesticides before it’s too late.
Human Health and Pesticides
When speaking of the potential side effects of pesticides, there are two effects: chronic and acute. Chronic effects can last for months or years after exposure, whereas acute effects last for a shorter time-frame.
Acute health effects from pesticides can include blisters, rashes, stinging eyes, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, and potentially death. Known chronic effects are birth defects, cancer, reproductive issues, immunotoxicity, developmental and neurological toxicity, and endocrine problems.
Infants and young children can experience the toxic effects of pesticides easier than adults. Farmworkers and others who work pesticides are more likely to acquire pesticide effects.
Common Pesticides in Food
Sadly, many are of our foods contain pesticide health risks. The common pesticides found in food are metolachlor, metam sodium, chlorpyrifos, atrazine, and glyphosate.
Glyphosate is in soy, canola, cotton, and corn. It can cause neurological disorders, fertility issues, cancer, and birth defects.
Atrazine is in corn and disrupts the endocrine system, increasing your chances of infertility, cancer, and birth defects.
Metolachlor is often used on soy, corn, and sorghum, and can cause cancer.
You can find chlorpyrifos in corn, apples, oranges, almonds, and cotton. It can cause health effects from a headache to respiratory paralysis. It can also cause ADHD.
Metam sodium goes on potatoes. It can cause difficulty breathing, vomiting, hormone disruption, birth defects, and nausea.
Did you know that pesticides could harm your mitochondria as well? You can learn more about the different types of pesticides that could harm your mitochondria by going to https://microbeformulas.com/blogs/microbe-formulas/10-pesticides-that-could-harm-your-mitochondria.
1. Buy Locally Grown and Organic
When you decide to go to your local farmer’s market or buy organic, you’re less likely to buy pesticide-ridden produce. When you’re looking to identify organic produce, look at the 5 digit sticker. The 5 digit sticker will start with a 9 if it’s organic.
Even if they’re not organic, farmer’s markets tend to have produce with fewer pesticides than traditional grocery stores.
2. Know the Pesticide Levels
It’s known that certain fruits and vegetables have higher pesticides than others. The produce with the highest residue are:
- Strawberries
- Bell peppers(green and red)
- Spinach, lettuce
- Cherries(from the US)
- Blueberries
- Peaches and nectarines
- Apples
- Apricots
- Celery
- Green Beans
- Grapes(Chile)
- Pears
- Cucumbers
- Winter Squash(US)
- Potatoes(US)
Instead of the fruits and vegetables listed above, you can use:
- Broccoli, romaine lettuce, green peas
- Blackberries, raspberries, oranges, cantaloupe
- Broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts
- Grapefruit
- Tangerines, watermelon, canned peaches
- Huckleberries, red currant, raisins
- Bananas, kiwi, mango
- Green peas, cauliflower
- Grapes(US)
- Carrots, radishes
- Canned Pears
- Winter squash(Mexico, Honduras), sweet potatoes(US)
The fruits and vegetables listed above are better substitutes for the foods high in pesticides. Some produce with the lowest pesticide levels are sweet corn(frozen) and brussels sprouts.
3. Wash Fruits and Vegetables
You can buy commercial fruit and vegetable washes that remove chemical residue from fruits and vegetables. You can also make a wash that’s 1 tsp detergent per gallon and water. When rinsing leafy vegetables, green beans, strawberries, and grapes, you’ll want to mix the foods in the dish detergent water mixture.
Mix them for 5-10 seconds, then rinse them with lukewarm water. For other fruits and vegetables, you’ll want to use a soft brush to scrub the solution for 5 to 10 seconds before rinsing with lukewarm water.
4. Grow Produce
The best way to control pesticides on your produce is to grow your own. You can grow your garden organically so you won’t need to use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. If you plant crops like strawberries, blueberries, and asparagus, they require very little work and can last for years.
You should always wash your produce, even if it’s homegrown or organic. Since pesticides go in the air, they could reach your garden.
5. Avoid Non-Organic Dairy and Meat
It isn’t only your produce you have to worry about but your eggs, milk, seafood, dairy, and meats as well. Animals are exposed to pesticides through the environment and their food. When farmland gets sprayed with pesticides, the chemicals spread to the animals you eat.
Try to opt for organic whenever possible.
6. Install a Water Filtration System
You’ve probably heard of Flint Michigan and how unsafe their water is. Sadly, it isn’t only Flint Michigan. Everywhere can have potentially toxic water with pesticides.
You can install a water filtration system in your home to remove any unwanted substances in your water and make sure you and your family are drinking clean water.
7. No Shoes Indoors
Whether it’s your family or visitors, have a no-shoes policy for your home. In certain traditions, this is a common practice, and it’s a good one to institute for your home since you’ll keep pesticides out. When you or others walk across a lawn treated with chemical fertilizers, the residue can enter your home.
This residue can stay on your floors or carpeting for years. Keep your shoes at the door to minimize the spread of pesticides in your home.
The Effects of Pesticide Poisoning
While the effects of pesticide poisoning are many, following these tips can minimize your risks of negative health effects. Would you like to learn more about everything from lifestyle to health and food? Check out our other articles today.
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