Toxic Fruit & Veggies: “100% more risk”
Posted On May 19, 2010
Put something toxic on fruits and veggies … what did you THINK was going to happen.
Researchers looked at our children to see if eating pesticides for breakfast, lunch, and dinner made those same kids more likely to develop cognitive disorders like ADHD.
For me and you, it’s a no-brainer. Of course they’ll find this and — lo and behold — the more organophosphate pesticide you eat, the more likely you are to have trouble thinking. It affects your cognitive ability!
Nice.
Organophosphates are “designed” to have toxic effects on the nervous system, says the lead author of the study, Maryse Bouchard. “That’s how they kill pests.” But our kids are not pests (most of the time), and they certainly don’t need to be eating pesticides.
Compared with kids who had consumed the lowest levels, the kids whose levels were 10 times higher were 55 percent more likely to have ADHD. In addition, children with higher-than-average levels were nearly twice as likely to have ADHD.
“It’s not a small effect,” says Bouchard. “This is 100 percent more risk.”
Get this: In a representative sample of produce tested by the USDA, 28% of frozen blueberries, 20% of celery, and 25% of strawberries contained one type of organophosphate. Other types of organophosphates were found in 27% of green beans, 17% of peaches, and 8% of broccoli.
What’s the solution?
You don’t have to resort to pesticide-free Ho Hos, PopTarts, or Jolly Ranchers for dinner. One solution is to eat those veggies organically. Another is to Buy Local.
“Organic fruits and vegetables contain much less pesticides, so I would certainly advise getting those for children,” according to Dr. Bouchard. “National surveys have also shown that fruits and vegetables from farmers’ markets contain less pesticides even if they’re not organic. If you can buy local and from farmers’ markets, that’s a good way to go.”
Study: ADHD linked to pesticide exposure – CNN.com:
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