“Awww, a vegetable is a vegetable, is a vegetable. It doesn’t matter if it’s “organically grown.” That’s a bunch of malarchy. You’re just wasting your money.”
Have you heard something like that before?
We have previously seen how living close to pesticide-sprayed crops can contribute to Parkinson’s and Autism.
Now, research is SUGGESTING (but not proving) that eating more vegetables that are sprayed more with pesticides may affect fertility.
Short Version:
Before, we knew that environmental (being near sprayed crops) exposure could contribute to lower semen quality, but this has taken the findings a step further. Actually, the study showed that the more high-pesticide fruit and veggies you eat, the fewer sperm and the more abnormally shaped sperm one has.
Solution: Eat organically grown or focus your intake on the lower-pesticide-use crops.
The Details:
“The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a great resource for pesticides and GMO information. EWG singles out produce with the highest pesticide loads for its Dirty Dozen™ list.
This year, it is comprised of
- apples,
- peaches,
- nectarines,
- strawberries,
- grapes,
- celery,
- spinach,
- sweet bell peppers,
- cucumbers,
- cherry tomatoes,
- imported snap peas and potatoes.”
Each of these foods tested positive a number of different pesticide residues and showed higher concentrations of pesticides than other produce items.” “Pesticides persisted on fruits and vegetables tested by USDA, even when they were washed and, in some cases, peeled.”
Now, don’t misunderstand. These are some EXCELLENT foods to eat. BUT, they tend to have a lot of pesticides used on them. And, NOT using pesticides on them is probably more than average hard work. So, if you opt for the organic, it is worth the cost.
If you cannot get organically grown, stay away from the Dirty Dozen and stick closer to the clean Fifteen:
“EWG’s Clean Fifteen™ list of produce least likely to hold pesticide residues consists of avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbage, frozen sweet peas, onions, asparagus, mangoes, papayas, kiwis, eggplant, grapefruit, cantaloupe, cauliflower and sweet potatoes. Relatively few pesticides were detected on these foods, and tests found low total concentrations of pesticides on them.”
Reference:
- Fruit and vegetable intake and their pesticide residues in relation to semen quality among men from a fertility clinic (http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/6/1342)
- The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen: (http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php)
