Ripening Chemical in ‘Papaya’ gave me a Fractured Ankle!

Surprised?

Yes, for the 1st. time in my 54 Years on this Earth - I had a violent chemical-reaction - manifesting in 'unbearable, whole (Full) body itching'.

I searched causes for this kind of allergic reaction, on the net, but couldn’t find much information as to any home remedy.

And within a couple of hours my blood pressure had dropped to very dangerous levels (sub-70) and if I hadn’t been rushed to a nearby Hospital - Specialists there said - I would’ve died and they further confirmed that there were a few such instances, where people have died without knowing what hit them. 

The doctors there, initially, diagnosed it to be a ‘drug-reaction’ and tried to revive me by boosting-up my blood pressure levels with whatever medicines / drugs they should through intravenous injections.  On my recovering consciousness, when they were enquiring about what drugs, I had taken that Day, I named the drugs, all of which have been prescription ones and which I have been using for longer periods and insisted that those prescription drugs for which My body is so used to that it is unlikely it could be a ‘drug-reaction’.

The next Day Morning, they started enquiring of what food I had the previous Evening to which I replied ‘Papaya’.  The Sr. Physician there advised me that I should desist from taking ‘Papaya’ as it’s giving me violent allergic reaction. 

Well, I had taken Papaya scores of times and it never gave me any kind of allergy, earlier and wondered how it, suddenly, started to give me ‘reaction’.  Then, I recalled having read and seen ‘expose’ of unscrupulous fruit & vegetable vendors using dangerous chemicals to ripen them, though I couldn’t recall the names of any.

Finally, the Doctors concluded that it must be ‘Chemical-Reaction’ that went into my stomach through ‘Papaya’.

It all started with my taking - on Friday Last (September 28, 2012) - a small bowlful of Papaya pieces and within 5 minutes, I had that violent chemical-reaction.  After trying to find some cause & probable home-remedy for my condition, I went to toilet and I lost my consciousness and with it my balance that I fell on the ground with a twisted right ankle. 

My right ankle has been casted in accordingly and I’ve been discharged the next Day, after instructing me to stop putting any weight (my body-weight) on my Right Feet (Ankle), take the prescribed medicines and also do some physiotherapy exercises, for six Weeks before I visit them for inspection to remove the casting on my feet.

The next Day after my discharge from the Hospital, I searched, this time round for ‘fruit ripening chemicals’ and I found out that Calcium Carbide is extensively used for ripening most fruit which may also contain “arsenic and phosphorous” which make the fruit poisonous and less tasty.

And also that it costs only Rs. 60/- per Kilogram and only around 100 Grams is used to ripen, artificially, 50 Kilograms of Fruit.

Usage of ‘Calcium Carbide’ for fruit ripening is banned in most countries including in India.

Either with the help of our lethargic & / or corrupt ‘Food Safety Enforcers’, the deceitful fruit traders are poisoning so many innocent people some of whom could be infants, the weak, old or those convalescing from some ailment, with this banned Chemical or they must be using some other toxic chemical for the same purpose.

No Wonder, people would want to go back in History where everything is grown through natural processes only and never used any artificial, especially of the Inorganic type contamination.

Alternatives to use of pesticides!

Brickbats, Bouquets & Backfeeds are welcome on prmadhura@yahoo.com

Experts say that even though the use of chemical pesticides can't be totally checked, its harmful effects can be minimised to a great extent by use of natural pesticides like neem cakes, educating farmers and introducing a proper monitoring system.

The NIN scientist, Dr Padmaja Rambabu, who has undertaken a project to educate farm women to minimise the use of pesticide at the farm and household levels, said, “Farmers should be continuously made aware of the proper use of pesticides, in the right dose and the right type, and should be encouraged to use natural pest-control measures. The government should also provide protective kits to the cultivators. Those having space in their homes can grow a kitchen garden.”

This is what I alerted in, "What Chemical Residues on our food can do to us?"
 at, http://prmadhura3.blogspot.com/2011/04/what-chemical-residues-on-our-food-can.html

Full story at,

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/hyderabad/pesticides-vegetables-killer-recipe-723

Chemicals used to fast ripen fruits are dangerous!

Carbide Sulphide, Calcium Carbide used for artificially ripening fruit are known carcinogenic, meaning would give us cancers.

Dr. M. Selvarajan of gives us a detailed analysis of the practice by the fruit dealers.  Please read full article @ http://www.hindu.com/seta/2011/05/05/stories/2011050550431900.htm

M. Prabhakar Rao,
Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Myspace: prmadhura & Linkedin

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

Harmful Chemicals in our Food & Water Chains!

Production of the energy guzzling, Agrochemicals – inorganic fertilizers, insecticides, weedicides, etc.. have not only been contributing to the Global Warming, the residues of these chemicals entering into our bodies have, deteriorated, drastically the health of both the Humans and the Animals due to the mass-scale contamination of our food-chains and water-bodies including seas, subsequently all the mankind, animal kingdom & aqua-world – resulting in the highly depreciated digestive, metabolic & inherent infection-resistance (Auto Immune) systems of ours.  

This, directly, added – along with other factors like, sedentary life-styles, acquired food habits, et al –  to the ever growing childhood obesity, early onset of the diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, stress, skin-allergies, premature graying or ageing and other health-disorders.  (It is also doubted to be the primary cause for pre-mature puberties, though not yet confirmed),

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