Pesticides could be harming your unborn child

Pesticides could be harming your unborn child
Pesticides are not only responsible for a decline in bee populations but they also affect human health and stall the brain development of unborn babies, according to European safety experts.

Researchers at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found that pesticide imidacloprid was associated with brain shrinkage, and reduced activity in nerve signals in newborn rats, while the other, acetamiprid led to reduced weight and reaction times, the Independent reported.

According to an EFSA statement, the chemicals may adversely affect the development of neurons and brain structures associated with functions such as learning and memory.

One of the ways to ensure that you do not consume any pesticide, is to eat food grown by organic farming. Dr Poonam Kuruganti answers some queries that you may have.

What are the effects of pesticides on our health and the environment?

Pesticides can cause multiple health conditions such as birth defects, nerve damage and cancer depending on the toxic nature of the pesticide . A person comes across pesticides via skin contact (handling pesticides), inhalation (breathing-in dust or spray) and ingestion (eating or drinking polluted food and water).

Long-term pesticide use negatively impacts the ecosystem . The most critical environmental impact is contaminated ground water which pollutes drinking water and all products that require water. For example, in the pesticide adulterated cola drinks the source of contamination could be either water or sugar (sugarcane agriculture) . Another example is the observed link between long-term pesticide use and reduction in honey bee population which lowers the crop yield of bee-pollinated food plants such as tomatoes, beans and apples.

What is organic farming?

Organic farming is a type of food production method which avoids using artificial and unsafe chemicals in the form of pesticides, fertilizers, growth regulators and animal feed additives. Fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat are grown by applying alternative farming practices such as crop rotation, mechanical cultivation, animal and green manure as well as environmentally sensitive pest and weed control.

Why are organically farmed foods good for health?

A recent study found that organically grown veggies are great for your health. One glaring example is of tomatoes. Tomatoes work wonders for your health – they cut your heart disease and stroke risk, prevent cancerand ageingdue to their antioxidant content, are great for your skin, help you beat depressionand are a great source for calcium. Now research has shown that the organic variety is richer in vitamin C, sugars and compounds, as compared to the conventionally grown variety.

Read how organic foods are better for health.

Researchers led by Maria Raquel Alcantara Miranda and colleagues from the Federal University of Ceara, Brazil, compared the heft and biochemical properties of tomatoes from organic and conventional farms.

They found that tomatoes from organic farms were approximately 40 percent smaller than farm grown ones and also accumulated more compounds linked to stress resistance, the journal Public Library of Science ONE reports.

Organic farming exposes plants to greater stress than conventional farming. They suggest that this increased stress may be the reason organic tomatoes had higher levels sugars, vitamin C and pigment molecules like lycopene, an anti-oxidant, said a university statement.

With inputs from ANI

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