Are Pesticides In Your Food?

Pesticides 101

Substances used to repel, kill, prevent or mitigate any pestsare considered pesticides. Insects, weeds, fungi, viruses, mammals and birdsare a few examples of common pests that plague farmers and gardeners.Pesticides help minimize pest damage to plants, crops, humans or animals.Chemical pesticides include organophosphate, carbamates, and pyrethroid.Organic pesticides are natural products that use plant extracts and plant oilsfor pest control.

Chemical pesticides are effective in controlling pests, but cantake their toll on your health and incur lasting repercussions. When you arechoosing a pesticide, take caution that you make the right choice. Families,especially those with small children, should be wary of produce grown withchemical pesticides. Studies have shown that organically grown produce containssignificantly lower amounts of synthetic pesticides. For the home gardener, organic pesticidesare the healthy solution for pest control.

Pesticides In Your Food

Chemical pesticides don’t break down easily, so they remain inthe soil and water long after treatment, eventually making their way into your foodand water. Even though you may wash your produce, trace amounts of pesticidesremain. The science community searched for an alternative, and the organicmovement began.

Organic pesticides are all natural, with no synthetic orman-made chemicals. Unlike chemical pesticides, organic pesticides are easilybroken down by nature into components that plants can use. This method of pestcontrol utilizes plant extracts and plant oils. Be careful when purchasingorganic pesticides, since some companies can be misleading. Always look for theOrganic Materials Review Institute and USDA National Organic Program seals. Organicpesticides can be used on flowers, shrubs, trees, vegetables, and houseplants.They are even safe to use up to the day of harvest.

Chemical Pesticides AndTheir Effects

Over time, health risks from chemical pesticides have emerged.Topically, they can irritate the skin and eyes, as well as aggravate allergiesand asthma. Some chemical pesticides can affect hormones in our body’sendocrine system, which regulate metabolism, growth, development and tissuefunction. They can also increase your risk for certain cancers.Organophosphates and carbamates are pesticides that affect the nervous system.Further studies show that chemical pesticides lead to birth defects,infertility, as well as damage to the brain and nervous system.

The Effects Of ChemicalPesticides On Children

Infants and children have a greater risk to pesticides thanadults for many reasons:

1.) Children eat and drink more per pound of bodyweight, which means their exposure to chemical pesticides increases, especiallywhen eating commercially grown fruits and vegetables.

2.) They are still growing and their internal organsare developing. Some chemical pesticides don’t allow nutrients to be absorbed,which are necessary for a child’s healthy growth.

3.) In crucial times of their development, a child’sbiological system can be permanently altered.

4.) Studies have shown that children with aboveaverage exposure to organophosphates, a type of pesticide, are at risk forbeing diagnosed with ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

5.) Children have a higher exposure risk topesticides, because they often put objects in their mouths and have directcontact with contaminated surfaces, such as pets, carpets, lawns, andfurniture.

Reduce Pesticides InYour Food

1.) Since the type of pesticide used varies betweenplants, you’re better off eating a wide variety of foods.

2.) Carefully wash, peel, and cook food. Althoughthis isn’t always effective, since some pesticides penetrate the produce andare developed to be water resistant.

3.) Buy organically grown fruits and vegetables.

4.) Use organic pesticides. You can find them onlineor in a garden store.

Organic Pesticides

What should you look for when searching for an organicpesticide? There are a variety of different organic pesticides on the markettoday, so choose carefully. The organic pesticideyou choose should meet the following specifications.

1.) Active ingredients that are derived from plantoils and extracts, such as neem oil and pyrethrin.

2.) The Organic Materials Review Institute-listedand USDA National Organic Program seals.These organic pesticides have been reviewed and approved for organic gardening.

3.) Check if the spray can be used on ornamentals,flowers, shrubs, trees, vegetables, and houseplants.

4.) Safe to use up to the day of harvest.

5.) Effectively eliminates a wide range of insects,including aphids, various beetles, caterpillars, harlequin bugs, leafhoppers,mealybugs, stink bugs, and whiteflies.

6.) Kills insects in all stages of development.

7.) All natural ingredients, which are easily broken down by nature. 

About The Author:

I am a senior copywriter in Phoenix, AZ.