The possible effects of pesticides and fertilizers on us mainly include the following aspects:
1. Memory loss: Prolonged exposure to toxic substances, such as pesticides, may damage the brain and lead to memory loss.
2. Mental decline: If the degree of exposure to pesticides is severe, it may cause damage to the cranial nerves, which may lead to mental decline.
3 Cancer risk: Some pesticides have been classified as carcinogens, and long-term exposure may increase the risk of cancer, such as the nearly 170 pesticides listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
4. Pesticides and fertilizers may also cause other health problems, such as nervous system disorders, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, digestive tract diseases, etc. In addition, pesticides may also be passed on to the next generation through embryos, leading to genetic mutations that increase the risk of infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, congenital malformations, and more.
Therefore, in order to protect our health, especially the health of the brain, long-term exposure to pesticides and fertilizers should be avoided as much as possible.
If you can't choose organic vegetables, you can avoid pesticides by choosing vegetables that don't love insects. Professor Yang Zhongqi, an expert, said that although he has been dealing with pesticides for many years, it is not easy to identify vegetables with few pesticides. He chooses dishes based on which ones he doesn't like insects, such as zucchini, eggplant, loofah and winter melon.
Some vegetables have a lot of pesticides, such as cowpeas and leeks. Greenhouse vegetables are also not safe, because the environment in the greenhouse is suitable for the growth of pests and diseases, and a lot of pesticides may be used.
There are fewer pesticides in potatoes because there are fewer insects in potatoes. On the contrary, sweet potatoes and peanuts are prone to nematodes, and the pesticides used are very toxic. Chinese cabbage and Chinese cabbage are safer because they have been on the market for a long time and have fewer pesticide residues. Just peel off the outer layer of leaves when eating.
Vegetables with pungent tastes, such as fennel and coriander, have fewer pests and diseases, and pesticides are used less. But it depends on whether the vegetable farmers use pesticides according to the regulations. There are few pesticides in natural wild vegetables, but only bracken is a real wild vegetable, and many others like amaranth and shepherd's cabbage are artificially planted, and shepherd's cabbage pesticides are used more.
Don't think that vegetables with insect eyes are safe, they may have just been sprayed with pesticides. If the vegetables are almost ripe before spraying, the pesticide residue will be high. Therefore, when choosing vegetables, you have to be more mindful and try to choose safe vegetables.
Natural wild vegetables are not sprayed. There are relatively few pesticide residues in real wild vegetables, but only bracken is a natural wild vegetable that really grows in the mountains, and many amaranth and camellia are artificially grown. Shepherd's cabbage is prone to aphids, and pesticides are used more.