Does an Apple A Day Really Keep the Doctor Away?

Did you know that the average apple is sprayed with pesticides seventeen times before it is harvested? Unless your apple is pesticide free, it is not only sufficient to keep the doctor at bay, it is more likely to keep the doctor on call. You may be thinking that the dose is so small that it really does not matter, however it has been found that some toxins are more harmful in smaller doses! In a study by the EPA, it identified more than 55 pesticides that can leave cancer-causing residues on food. And, according to the Natural Resource Defense Council, the use of pesticides has risen more than tenfold since the 1940s. On an average year, 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides are used in agriculture in the United States alone.

While pesticides  kill pests quickly, increasing research shows that they may harm or kill humans slowly. Pesticides are not easily washed off produce and the same is true once ingested. Fat-soluble pesticides are attracted to the fat stores in your body. In fact, even though DDT was banned in Canada and the United States over three decades ago, it is found in 100% of human fat samples tested by the EPA.

The best way to avoid pesticides on your produce is to buy organic food. It is more expensive and perhaps to lower the cost you could get to know the local food growers in your area that offer pesticide free produce. Avoid spraying your house and lawn with insecticide and choose natural alternatives to bug spray. Plant you own garden and grow blueberry bushes so that you may control what you are exposed to!