FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — If you think you’re protected against pesticide exposure by going organic, think again. Pesticides are so prevalent in our environment that they’re found in the air we breathe, according to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Life Extension, a pioneer in reporting the latest anti-aging research and integrative health therapies. Some, like DDT, linger in the environment for decades.
Washing your produce doesn’t always reduce pesticide residues. Nowadays systemic pesticides are combined with fertilizer and absorbed by plant’s vascular system, making it impossible for these compounds to be rinsed away.
By their very nature, pesticides are toxic to living beings. They impact the nervous systems of their intended victims as well as those of humans. High amounts of DDE, a DDT metabolite, have been measured in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients, and greater than four-fold higher average levels of another pesticide, beta-hexachlorocyclohexane, have been detected in the serum of those with Parkinson’s disease in comparison with healthy individuals.
Pesticide exposure has also been linked to an increased risk of cancer, endocrine complications, infertility, respiratory disorders, organ failure, birth defects and more. While exposure to pesticides may be inevitable, there is something that can be done to protect oneself. A naturally occurring compound in onions, apples and other plant foods has been shown in experimental research to protect against some of pesticides’ harmful effects.