Eating organic foods as much as possible seems to be a necessity because pesticides are numerous in our food that they make it toxic. It is an important way to preserve our health and especially that of children.
Pesticides, what’s that?
Pesticides are known under a large number of terms and chemical composition vary.
They are classified in 22 categories, and range from algaecides used to remove algae that can form in your pool to the mole that you may be using when moles ravage your lawn, passing by the insecticides that they use generously when mosquitoes bite you, e.g. fungicides against fungi, and herbicides, i.e. weedkillers that you use if you have a garden. In addition they are phytosanitary products whose purpose is to prevent or treat diseases of plants.
Insecticides, fungicides and herbicides are the most used pesticides, both in agriculture and gardening. In these, lies the famous glyphosate (Round Up) that who the Health Organization has classified as “carcinogenic certain”, in a study published March 20, 2015, but that is still not prohibited.
In 2007, a plan had been implemented to reduce their use of 50% by 2018. By 2015, the goals are far from being attained although the quantities of pesticides used in agriculture have even decreased.
What are the dangers of pesticides?
They are, unfortunately, very many and were listed by a gigantic study by INSERM (national Institute of health and medical research).
Pesticides disrupt the endocrine system even when they are absorbed in small quantities. What has catastrophic consequences in pregnant women and the baby that they carry that range from abortion or preterm birth and stunting among children. In the biggest, pesticides would be also involved in hyperactivity and attention disorders.
In adults, they increase the risk of cancers, especially prostate and neurodegenerative (Parkinson, Alzheimer’s etc.).
When you see the pretty spectacular development of all these dirt for a few years, we more than want to avoid pesticides at all cost.
What are the most contaminated foods?
According to a study done recently, most contaminated vegetables association by pesticides are eggplants, carrots, lettuce, cabbage and cauliflower, cucumbers, spinach, tomatoes, peas, potatoes, peppers.
For fruits, there are strawberries, the peaches, apples and grapes.
But it is also in milk, in cereal products (wheat are processed for better push and keep), wines.
If the residual quantities of pesticides are variable according to the origin of the products, it only remains they are present in virtually all our power.
And if you have a garden you grow with large usage of herbicides and insecticides, the vegetables and fruits that are your pride and your pleasure when you reap there are not immune. It’s time to go to ladybugs that work the insects and weeding which will make you exercise even more rather than choosing the easy way.
Avoid pesticides by eating organic
Wash and peel the fruits and vegetables from industrial agriculture is the least of the precautions to be taken.
But, in fact, this is not enough because pesticides are also found in their flesh. This is why the solution is to eat organic, i.e. purchasing products from organic since pesticides are strictly prohibited. When this is not possible, you must then you cast off on the fruits and vegetables coming from what is called ‘sustainable agriculture’ where pesticides are much less employees.
Organic products are more expensive? Not necessarily.
If you sell on a platform or to another collaborative body, you’ll have fruit and organic and seasonal vegetables (no strawberries or tomatoes in winter!) cheaper than those of traditional agriculture and pesticides. You will also find other products: rice, pasta, meats etc.
If you are pregnant, it is better. If you are in the diversification of your baby purees, if you have children, it is also better.
You can exclude all the pollutants, because there are other than pesticides and elsewhere that in food, but at least you can eliminate these and it is already a good start. If you don’t grow your own vegetables and fruits, somewhere like Nash Organic Produce is a good place to shop for bio products online.
