Consuming pesticides in your diet is just like playing Russian roulette with your health – as the reality is you don’t know just how much you are taking in with each meal or glass of water you drink if your water is not filtered, and your food is not organic.
1. Skin Cancer Risk Increased
A new study published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery warns that the herbicide named ‘Agent Orange’ that U.S. veterans of the Vietnam War were exposed to may put them at an increased risk of skin cancer[1].
Agent Orange was a chemical spray that was used to clear foliage in the jungle in the Vietnam War and even then it was known to contain the carcinogen ‘dioxin’ which has been linked to causing a variety of different cancers as well as other diseases.
It will be impossible to win the war on cancer if we keep ignoring the ‘chemical’ elephant poisoning our food and water supply.
2. Low Dose Exposure Increases Risk of Parkinson’s
Even low dose exposure to certain pesticides is linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
As according to the journal Toxicology Letters there is evidence to link these diseases arising to long-term/low-dose exposure to pesticides such as; paraquat, maneb, dieldrin, pyrethroids and organophosphates[2].
It appears that the majority of these pesticides share the ability to cause oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, α-synuclein fibrillization and neuronal cell loss.
It will take some time before this becomes mainstream knowledge but in the meantime, preserve your brain function by giving chemical pesticides the boot and only buy organic.
3. Increased Risk of Birth Defects
A study published in Acta Paediatrica has found a possible link between pesticide exposure and an increased risk of birth defects[3].
The researchers analyzed every single birth that occurred between 1996 and 2002 in the U.S and found a strong association between higher rates of birth defects among women whose last menstrual period was in April, May, June or July which is when there are elevated levels of nitrates, atrazine and other pesticides in surface water during those months.
It’s easy to think there are other factors that could have caused these results like smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes and advanced age in pregnant women, but even when mothers did not have these risk factors they still had higher overall birth defect rates when conceiving their babies in the April to July period.
4. Brain & Nervous System Damaged
In a systematic review of literature carried out by researchers from UCL and the Open University, it has been concluded by scientists that low-level exposure to organophosphates (OPs), produces lasting deterioration in neurological and cognitive function[4].
The team also identified that memory and information processing speed are affected more so than other cognitive functions such as language.
Once damaged by pesticides it will be hard to undo the sometimes severe damage caused to the brain and nervous system – so do invest in a good quality water filter system and for fear of sounding like a parrot, buy only certified organic food and skin care products that are free of toxins!
5. Unique Health Problems for Children
According to the Environmental Protection Agency in America, children may suffer from different health problems due to pesticide exposure[5].
They have stated that children and infants may be especially sensitive because of many reasons including; that their internal organs are still developing and maturing, and certain behaviors such as playing on floors or lawns and putting objects in their mouths all increase a child’s exposure to pesticides.
The EPA also states that there are “critical periods” in human development when exposure to a toxin can permanently alter the way an individual’s biological system operates.
It is vital to remember that not all chemical pesticides and herbicides have been adequately tested on humans so let’s stop being guinea pigs and… you got it – support those hardworking organic farmers!
sources:
- [1] https://consumer.healthday.com/cancer-information-5/mis-cancer-news-102/agent-orange-skin-cancer-plastic-recon-surgery-release-batch-1121-684322.html
- [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24503016
- [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2667895/
- [4] https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1212/031212-Brain-and-nervous-system-damaged-by-rganophosphate-pesticides-MacKenzie-Ross
- [5] https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/pest.htm