There are some everyday foods, such as fruits and vegetables, that may contain excessive amounts of pesticides, that are not always easily identifiable. In addition to being unrecognizable on the skin, some do not even change the flavor, and others can even penetrate the interior of the food.
The problem is that it is not clear what the real effects of pesticides are on the health of those who eat these foods in the long term. So stay tuned and check out a list of 14 foods that contain the most pesticides in Brazil!
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Foods with the highest amount of pesticides
Anvisa, in its latest monitoring, evaluated 14 vegetables and fruits, which make up 30% of the Brazilian diet, with an approximate amount of 270 different types of pesticides. Are they:
- Pineapple
- Lettuce
- Rice
- Garlic
- Sweet potato
- Beet
- Carrot
- chayote
- Guava
- Orange
- Mango
- Pepper
- Tomato
- Grape
Are these substances harmful to health?
Talk about health risks regarding pesticides it is complicated. Starting with ethical reasons, since experiments on humans cannot be carried out, since the safe amount for use of these substances is unknown. In addition to the analyzes already carried out being observational, in which many factors can confuse the final results, after all, the organism is exposed to a series of other potentially toxic products, such as cigarette smoke and pollution.
The existing data so far are more pronounced among workers and rural populations who deal directly with the substances. Knowledge is very scarce about the health effects of people who only consume these foods.
With direct and long-term exposure, major studies point to serious health problemssuch as paralysis, brain and liver damage, certain cancers, and behavioral changes. In the case of pregnant women, they can cause miscarriage and birth defects.
See how to reduce pesticides in vegetables
The same recipe used to clean fruits can be applied to vegetables and leaves. Therefore, all vegetables can and even need to be properly sanitized in order to eliminate toxins.
It is noteworthy that pesticides are used to preserve vegetables in large plantations that cannot be individually controlled. These chemicals keep pests, insects and microbes away from crops. However, after the fruits are picked and ripe, it is ideal that toxic substances are removed as much as possible.
