A new study has confirmed that the pesticides using in farming fruits and vegetables are just as harmful as smoking cigarettes.
Researchers linked the commonly found chemicals used to grow items available in every grocery store to heightened levels of cancer, including Hopkins lymphoma, leukaemia, and bladder cancer. Some areas with large farms like the Midwest and Great Plains had 150 percent more cancers than others.
Which Items Are the Worst
The study identified a few culprit items that absorbed pesticides at a higher rate.
Strawberries, spinach, and collard greens have been labelled as some of the most cancer causing items in the grocery store.
The Dirty Dozen
You might have heard the term “dirty dozen” before. It refers to a group of ultra absorbent items from the produce section that soak up pesticides. These items, unfortunately, cannot be washed off and ingesting them in anyway will cause the consumer to eat high levels of chemicals.
Items on the list include: strawberries, spinach, kale, collard & mustard greens, grapes, peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, bell & hot peppers, cherries, blueberries, and green beans.
Limit Produce Consumption
Because of the heavy pesticides and chemicals present on these items, researchers urged consumers to avoid eating these items in large quantities.
Alternatively, all organic produce can be purchased to avoid ingesting any pesticides at all.
Pesticides Are Almost Unavoidable
In addition to large quantities of pesticides being used on standard produce and crops, much of the chemicals leech off into groundwater and contaminate nearby water sources.
Some research suggests that up to 80 percent of Americans have at least a small amount of detectable pesticides in their blood.
Pesticide Use and Cancer
Researchers of the study found that across the regions that most heavily use pesticides, places like the Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio, all popular farming places, have the highest incidence on non-smoking related cancers.
Around the midwest, the study estimates that the heavy pesticide use contributed to 150,000 cases of cancers. The Midwest, Great Plains, and Mississippi River basin regions had an additional 21,000 cases of cancers.
Types of Cancers
In recent years it’s been found that the incidence of cancers have been rising in people under 30 despite living relatively healthy lives, smoking less, and drinking less.
Now that the link to pesticides has been made to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, bladder cancer and leukaemia has been made, it’s clear that the 154% increase in cases in these types compared to smoking may have to do with the increased use of pesticides on food.
A Strong Link
For all the cancers combined, pesticides were immediately linked to 19% more cancer than smoking.
The findings proved that agriculture pesticides directly impacted the incidence of cancers in both those consuming the fruits and veggies and the farmers working closely with the chemicals.
Best Way To Remove Pesticides
Experts also shared that the best way to wash off pesticides from your fruits and veggies is to wash it in clean water.
Adding any other chemicals like soap or special cleaning agents will only make the food absorb more chemicals. It’s best to just wash off fruit in the sink.
Other Concerns of Pesticides
There are a few other concerns with pesticides that are not cancer related.
Unfortunately, the chemicals used to grow food can also have adverse effects on reproduction, development, and hormones in young people.
Some Food Requires Extra Cleaning
Items with lots of creases and crevasses like raspberries and mushrooms will need extra attention during the cleaning process.
Items like these can cling into dirt, bugs, and chemicals even when washed off. Consider using a strainer to ensure that the water flows over every inch of the items.
Organic Is the Best Way To Avoid Chemicals
Although organic fruits and veggies are the best way to avoid chemicals, foods in the grocery store marked with the classic O for organic are often way more expensive than their regular counter parts.
If you can, the best way to get your hands on cheap and clean food is to hit up your local farmers markets on weekends. This way, you can ensure that your food is coming from a safe source.
