As dangerous as smoking.. Cancer-causing chemicals in fruits and vegetables!

Researchers have found that common chemicals used in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables in the United States were linked to higher levels of several types of cancer, including Hopkins lymphoma, leukemia, and bladder cancer, compared to smoking.

And it was named Strawberries, spinach and kalewhich is often thought of as one of the healthiest foods one can eat, is among the produce that contains the highest number of pesticides.

Researchers are urging people to wash produce before eating it to reduce their exposure to pesticides.

Pesticides are a crucial aspect of modern agriculture. They protect produce from insects, and ensure that enough of the crop survives through the harvest season.

But this also means that chemicals remain on products that reach people’s homes and leach into the water.

In addition to pesticides landing on the fruits and vegetables that millions of people buy in grocery stores every day, pesticide runoff from irrigation and produce spraying can contaminate nearby water and soil, contaminating drinking water and other crops.

In the new study, researchers reviewed the health effects of 69 different pesticides, data for which are available from the US Geological Survey.

The team said that since more than one pesticide was used at the same time, the culprit was likely the use of several of them together in a “cocktail.”

They compared that data with the health effects of smoking on different types of cancer in the body. Smoking is most commonly linked to lung cancer, but it can also lead to cancer of the mouth, voice box, throat, esophagus, stomach and other organs, as well as asthma, heart disease, stroke and chronic lung disease.

The researchers noted that their study is the first comprehensive look at the cancer risks associated with pesticides.

“It’s hard to explain the scale of the problem without providing some context, so we incorporated smoking data,” said Dr. Eisen Zapata, a professor at Rocky Vista University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Colorado and co-author of the report. “We were surprised to see estimates in similar ranges.”

Some of the most common pesticides that prevent fungi and insects have been linked to cancer, delayed growth, fertility problems, and hormone problems.

The results were published in the journal Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society.

Source: Daily Mail