The three foods found to raise pesticide levels in human body
New research has found that some types of fruits and vegetables could increase the levels of harmful pesticide in your body.
Pesticides are attributed to cancer, hormone deterioration, reproductive damage and neurotoxicity in children, usually detected by the residue of these chemicals.
The study conducted by scientists in the Washington DC -based Environmental Working Group found that participants who consume certain products more, including strawberries, spinach and pepper, have significantly higher pesticide levels in their urine.
Alexis Takkin, Vice President of Science at EWG and chief writer of the study, said, “The findings strengthen that what we eat directly affects the level of pesticide in our bodies,” he said.
“The product is necessary for a healthy diet, but it can also increase exposure to pesticides.
“This study is in the previous studies that show that the exposure of some fruits and vegetables is an important way of pesticide exposure,” Takkin said. “Young children and pregnant people are particularly sensitive to exposure damages.”
The researchers collected the US Ministry of Agriculture data about pesticide residues in production between 2013-18 and combined 1,837 participants with dietary surveys and urine examples.
Using this data, EWG has created a ‘dietary pesticide exposure score’ to estimate the exposure of people based on the fruits and vegetables consumed by people and the pesticide levels in that food.
This was determined by the concentration and toxicity of each chemical and how much of each chemical is detected and how much of each pesticide is detected.
The results showed a clear connection between the levels of these pesticides detected in the urine and which specific products they consume.
However, the relationship between production consumption and pesticide levels was evidence only when the potatoes were removed from the test.
Due to the versatile nature of potatoes and various ways to be consumed, they are believed to be difficult to accurately predict the exposure of pesticide in them and therefore distort the results.
The study also found that people are now exposed to a wide variety of agricultural chemicals, and more pesticide should be identified and examined.
Despite years of research that connects low -level pesticide exposure to health risks, regulators cannot explain cumulative exposure from the pesticide mixture.
The report encourages people to continue to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, but encourages traditional products to switch to organics.
“This study was only possible thanks to strong federal data, and strong public health agencies should be priority for policy makers,” EWG Science Analyst Varun said. He said.
“Pesticide residue tests and CDC biomonitation data represent the basic research that the government can only provide – on a scale that no private sector or academic effort can match.”
