Organophosphates? Organo-what, you say? It may be a mouthful to say and is unfortunately in many of our mouthfuls of food.
Organophosphates are one of the most common pesticides used on conventionally grown produce. Approximately 70%of the pesticides used in this country are organophosphates. They are most commonly used on apples, grapes and green beans as well as corn, wheat and cotton. Despite being sprayed on our food, they are also used to kill mosquitoes and termites and can be found in some flea and tick medications for pets.
Organophosphates work by disrupting the nervous system. Children with ADHD have been found to have higher levels of this pesticide in their urine. One study found that moms who had mildly high organophosphate levels while pregnant had babies with IQs 7 points lower than moms with no organophosphates in their system.
So, what can you do? First of all, try to eat organic produce when you can. Pay particular attention to the “Dirty Dozen“. You can also do a liver cleanse a couple of times a year to help your body get rid of the chemicals that you have been exposed to. Check out my post from last week for simple instructions on how to do a cleanse, ask your naturopathic doctor if you need more specific help, or call our office to have one sent to you.
So true! And I also recently read an article about how organophosphates are linked to increasing food allergies. Scary, and an important health issue.
This may be a silly question, but does peeling an apple help?
Not a silly question at all. It can definitely help, especially since many of the pesticides are sprayed when the fruit is growing, so that the bugs don’t eat the apples. This is where fruit washes can also be beneficial. My concern is the soil that the apples are grown in year after year after year. If all of those pesticides just sit there, they will be absorbed up through the roots of the plant and directly into the fruit, making washing the apple, well, fruitless :-)