mercredi 20 août 2014

Pesticide Use And Cancer

By Cliff Walsh


Did you know that farmers, pesticide applicators, and pesticide factory workers have higher cancer rates than the average person? The U.S. government doesn't appear to know or at least doesn't care. Despite this very troubling fact, the government allows almost one billion pounds of pesticides to be poured on our food supply each year- a few pounds for each of us. Not only are pesticides in and on our food, but in our drinking water as well.

Farmers use insecticides and herbicides to rid crops of bugs, harmful plants, germs, and smaller animals. Is it hard to believe that the same pesticides that can kill bugs, small animals, and bacteria can also kill cells in the human body? Studies have shown that these chemicals can change our DNA, which can unleash the spread of carcinogenic cells.

Many of these dangerous chemicals are also fat soluble, meaning they can remain in our fat cells for years. I went through about two weeks of detox symptoms when I converted to an organic vegan diet. There were definitely chemicals hitting my blood stream. The most common symptom is a consistent headache.

Although the government doesn't appear to be making any effort to understand this causation, much research has been done privately. The evidence clearly shows a distinct link between cancer and insecticides and herbicides. A research project done in the U.S., which tested over 55,000 farm workers for skin cancer, showed that those who applied the most pesticides over their careers had the highest rates of cancer. Those is the top group were more than 2.5x as likely to get skin cancer than the bottom group.

The diverse landscape of Argentina can be helpful in illustrating the connection between cancer and pesticides. Their Ministry of Health completed a study that showed a strong connection between the two. Areas of low pesticide use had low cancer rates while the opposite was true in high application areas. This is a useful report for U.S. citizens to understand as Argentina's agricultural industry is very similar to ours with respect to the usage of both pesticides and genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).

Pesticide usage has been linked to a wide range of cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma as well as cancer of the breast, brain, lungs, and prostate.

We can't trust the companies making and profiting from pesticides that tell us that there's nothing wrong with them. This is from the same people that gave us Agent Orange, DDT, PCBs, and GMOs. Sorry, but your word is no longer good here. And don't forget Big Tobacco and how hard they fought to keep the lies alive.

I recommend that people avoid pesticides by eating organic produce. If that is a problem because of cost or availability, it is okay to buy non-organic fruits and vegetables that have thick skin or protective shells. Berries and thin-skinned fruits are the most at risk for pesticide contamination. A filter for your water intake is also recommended.




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