How many of you are okay with the fact that your food is laden with pesticides and chemicals? Hands up please. How many of you has a fairly good knowledge about food toxicity and adverse effects of pesticides? How many of you is eating at least 70% organic whole foods on daily basis?
Today, I'll share with you guys some of the different types of pesticides and herbicides. For starters, whoever smokes, should realize that each cigarette, contains a high amount of pesticide DDT. Apart from this, there are other more common pesticides such as organophosphates, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and carbamates. All these pesticides employ a neurotoxic mechanism to kill insects. Furthermore, most of the pesticides and herbicides are easily absorbed through the skin and lungs. This is why you would see labels to wash all spills off your skin with copious amounts of soap and water immediately!
When we consider the magnitude of exposure from indoor bug and termite treatments, our pesticide/herbicide exposure from foods is actually pretty small. Some people who buy vegetable wash and scrub all their fruits and vegetables to remove pesticides, and then also have a pesticide service treat their home inside and out every month. Because they don't see any lingering vapors, they assume the pesticide and therefore their homes are safe.
Organophosphate pesticides kill bugs by inhibiting a special enzyme, also found in humans, called cholinesterase. Under normal circumstances, this naturally occuring enzyme deactivates acetylcholine to prevent overstimulation of muscles and central neural pathways. When cholinesterase is deactivated, acetylcholine overstimulates muscles, resulting in an inability to control movements. Heavy exposures can cause death from respiratory paralysis.
While it has been assumed that the toxic effects of organophosphates are caused solely by cholinesterase inhibition, studies have shown that another mechanism may also be involved. In fact, low concentration exposure can produce lasting neurological problems, such as memory defects and reduced ability to concentrate.
Another disturbing effect of the organophosphate, is that findings of a high incidence of auto-antobodies to myelin and the nucleus of cells. These are the types of autoimmune antibodies found in autism and lupus. Individuals exposed to this particular pesticide have reported muscle pains, fatigue, flu like symptoms, and defects in tests of rapid visual identification and decision making. In addition, these people demonstrate difficulties with problem solving and complex processiong of information.
Next, carbamates are widely used as berbicides, pesticides and fungicides. Like organophosphates, they are easily absorbed through the skin, producing rapid toxicity. Exposure can cause acute memory loss, vertigo, numbness in the hands and feet, increased sensitivity to light, fatigue and visual impairment that can last over a year. Well, in some instances, these symptoms are permanent.
Another very toxic substance, chlorinated hydrocarbons or also known as cyclodienes. This substance is the most highly toxic of any of the organochlorine pesticides. These includes chlordane and endosulfan. Excessive exposure can cause seizures, loss of coordination, brain swelling, and liver failure. One ongoing problem with chlordane is that it can persist in the soil for twenty years! For homes, it is fifteen years after application.
Now, let's discuss about how these pesticides can interfere with some of the vital neurotransmiter in the brain. Whoever read my earlier posts, you would have known about GABA. The organochlorine group of pesticides, such as lindane, kills bugs by intefering with GABA receptors, making them convulse to death. GABA, is a neurotransmitter that calms the nervous system by inhibiting excitatory neurons. The brain becomes overexcited when GABA is deficient.
The importance of the GABA system is emphasized by the fact that it is one of the earliest systems to develop in the fetal brain, usually by 6-7 weeks. The number of GABA receptors increases sharply betweem eight and eleven weeks of development. It is known that drugs that target these receptors can cause long lasting behavioral changes.
Those with neurological diseases, especially disorders related to excitotoxicity, are especially vulnerable to these pesticides, since GABA is essential in preventing overexcitation of the nervous system. Patients with ALS, suffers excitotoxic disorder of the spinal cord.
Organochlorine type of pesticides are accumulating in our foods, and in our bodies as well. Significant levels of these compounds have been measured in human breast milk and can pass easily through the placenta. Soon to be mums and breasfeeding mums, please do take note.
I'm sure alot of you must be wondering and asking, how about residues on fruits and vegetables? if I wash my veggies and fruits, the pesticides and chemicals should be eliminated right? Well, the answer is NO. While, billions of pounds of pesticides and herbicides are used globally on our crops, we obviously have a problem, a big problem. Because many pesticides including DDT, have demonstrated major toxicity and carcinogenicity, they have been banned in certain countries including USA.
The highest concentration of these pesticides can be found in the following foods such as tomatoes, potatoes, ornages, lettuce, apples, peaches, wheat, soybeans, beans, carrots, beef, chicken, pork, corn, grapes, etc. Some fruits of vegetables, contains up to combination of 13 different pesticides in a single piece! Bear in mind, some fruits and vegetables, such as bell peppers, peaches, cucumbers, oranges, apples eggplants, are waxed to slow spoilage. Often, pesticides that cannot be washed off with water are added to these waxes.
Pesticides poisoning is not at all uncommon. One particular alarming incident occured where the use of systemic pesticide, called aldicarb on watermelons. A systemic pesticide is one that permeates the entire plant, not just the outside. Tainted watermelons! Symptoms varied from nausea and vomiting to even seizures, nerve damage and blurred vision.
Studies have shown that firty to seventy chemical residues present in the fatty tissue of ordinary adults in the Unites States alone. Several studies have also shown that pesticide residues in breast milk. Again, your infant DO NOT know how to tell you NOT to feed him or her pesticide contaminated milk! It is parents responsibility to research and ensure whatever been fed to the infant or child, it is clean and safe.
In the brain, many of these powerful chemicals alter neurotransmission, receptor function, and membrane physiology. It alters the brain's immune system, while others mainly affect the vascular supply to the brain, and still others destroys specific parts of the brain such as the substantia nigra responsible for Parkinson's disease.
Most people assume that if they experience no symptoms at the time they are exposed, they haven't been affected. This is wrong. It's a dangerous presumption. The effects of early exposure to many of these chemicals may not appear until much later in life. Most neurological disorders do not develop clinically until 80% of the neurons in a particular area of the brain have been destroyed.
In the next final post, I will discuss about how pesticides could affect the developing babies and how we can protect ourselves from these neurotoxic substances. Stay tuned.
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