Vegan Forum

[Masha]

Fruits and vegetables are not healthful if they contain pesticide residues, are they?

[Alistar]

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables protects against many types of cancers.The benefits of eating lots of fruits and vegetables far outweight the potential risk of pesticide residues. And, government regulations set amounts permitted many times below what could pose a health risk

[curlytopper]

I disagree with what Alistair just mentioned in the post. It's true that the Benefits a person gets from a diet composed mainly of fruits and vegetables are significant and is considered very healthy but when you consider the fact that these fruits and vegetables have pesticides in them is very scary. Yes, fruits and vegetables are very good in fighting cancer and other kinds of ailments but pesticides are more harmful since their effects are direct. Once you have cancer it is very hard to treat with just a proper diet.

[AndyBa]

Are there any ways to see if fruits and vegetables contain pesticide residues?

Thank you

[curlytopper]

As an ordinary consumer it is very difficult to trace pesticide residues in the fruits and vegetables that we eat, that is why there are government agencies and branches that are in charge of making sure the residue levels in these foods are at a safe level. It is also up to the source to tell their customers that the products they are providing are safe and does not have toxic materials in them.

[cfRedtwin]

Is it actually the pesticides that cause the cancer, or complications thereof (i.e. burnt skin is fertile ground for bacterial growth?). Does a little second hand smoke really hurt folk? I get tired of the constant picky problems I get into as a vegan. An organic, vegan-safe planet is welcome, but we'll drive ourselves nuts right now worrying about it so. Refiner's gold.

[BigBecka]

Doesn't buying organic mean that pesticides have not been used on food?

Organic food is produced according to certain production standards. For crops, it means they were grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. For animals, it means they were reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones.

Increasingly, organic food production is legally regulated. Currently, the US, the European Union, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain organic certification in order to market food as organic. [Wikipedia]

There are other problems as well as cancer that have been linked to pesticide and fertilizer use: premature births, and there are social justice / fair trade implications. Organic crops have been shown to have higher levels of Vitamin C, magnesium and phosphorus[http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/food_matters/organicfood.shtml],
Check this: http://www.organicconsumers.org/

I used to live in a town where fertilizers and pesticides had leached into the local river and canal, causing duckweed to grow like crazy. The fish started to die, and the ducks were left with nowhere to swim and nothing to eat the council had to manually dredge the river every summer.

[meign]

How can we know if fruits and veggies have pesticides' residues?

[huntertan]

si, they are not health to humen beings.

[akonheadly]

I also agree with you that now fruits and vegetables have some effect of the anti toxic residues in self and these are very harmful for the every human being.