What Chemical Residues on our food can do to us?

As pesticides (including insecticides, weedicides, etc) are toxins and are dangerous for human consumption, most farmers tend to use them in minimum required quantities and despite that some overenthusiastic or ignorant of them also try to indulge in overkill – to eliminate crop devouring rodents, insects, weeds, bacteria, fungi, etc..

In either case, major quantities of the pesticides sprayed on our foods like grains, pulses, vegetables, fruit get washed away or become degraded before they are harvested, processed / sorted and let into our kitchens.  In spite of that, a very small quantity of pesticide residues is bound to stay back on the surface of the food items.  Consumed, albeit in small quantities, over a period are bound to accumulate in our systems and disturb our harmones.

European Union Commission defines 'endocrine disrupters (also known as hormone disruptors)' as "An endocrine disrupter is an exogenous substance or mixture that alters function(s) of the endocrine system and consequently causes adverse health effects in an intact organism, or its progeny, or (sub)populations". 

According to http://www.pesticide-residue-testing.com "These "hormone disruptors" are said to risk affecting brain development, behaviour, and the development of reproductive organs.  They have also been associated with such as falling sperm counts and girls entering puberty earlier.  The greatest risk from hormone disruptors is that they can cause problems at very low doses. Some block the bodies natural hormones from working, while others mimic the action of natural hormones.

Other health hazard are listed by various independent studies include low sex drive, low energy levels, low metabolism to name a few.

 To completely eliminate the entry of these harmful chemicals into our digestive systems, we should wash them in cold running water to remove the microbes and also the edible wax like Carnauba wax and Shellac wax that is normally coated to extend the life of certain food items like peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, etc., lipid films coated onto the meat products, chocolate coating for a range of food items.  Per se none of these coating materials is harmful to us but there is every likelihood of harmful microbes or pesticide residues trapped underneath them.  This apart washing hands thoroughly before preparing food is very important.

Even better is to go for Organic Produce. 

Next on Organic Farming.

M. Prabhakar Rao,
[Author of “Mayhem of the Miserables!”]
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52075