ADHD, Pesticides LinkedOrganophosphate pesticides, perhaps the most common in use in the USA for keeping those annoying little critters from eating and damaging our fruits and vegetables, has been linked to ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, in studies. There are some forty of these organophosphate pesticides registered with the US and a bare minimum of 73 million pounds of the stuff is being pumped onto your food and lawn each year, and that is just in the US. Experts are admitting that this could be the smoking gun regarding the mystery cause of ADHD. ADHD is found in 3-7 percent of children in the US, with boys being more afflicted by the disease overall.
Both Harvard and UC Berkeley have found connections between the exposure of fetuses and small children to organophosphates and ADHD. Experts are open to this possible connection, more than others, due to the fact that organophosphate pesticides work on the principle that the nervous systems of the bugs are affected by the pesticides, causing them to be unable to function properly and hence, die. It wouldn't be a grandiose leap of faith to suspect that the same could be happening to fetuses in vitro and small children, who have had long term, heightened exposure by either consuming food laden with these pesticides or by being exposed to the pesticides through their surrounding environment, or both.
Also, one must not ignore the prospect of what could occur when introducing into a child's body, which has already been exposed to high levels of these pesticides and combining it with mercury and other substances found in vaccines. It could be a most dangerous chemical combination which potentially could prevent proper formation of the brain and even cause damage to an infant's or child's brain if these substances were proven to be reactive towards each other in a detrimental way.
It is highly recommended by the Environmental Working Group that you wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them. The EWG has listed the twenty most pesticide laden fruits and vegetables ranking in order of worst to best:
EWG's 20 Worst Offenders for Pesticide Content
1. Peaches 2. Apples 3. Sweet Bell Peppers 4. Celery 5. Nectarines 6. Strawberries 7. Cherries 8. Pears 9. Grapes (Imported) 10. Spinach 11. Lettuce 12. Potatoes 13. Carrots 14. Green Beans 15. Hot Peppers 16. Cucumbers 17. Raspberries 18. Plums 19. Grapes (Domestic) 20. OrangesEWG's 20 Safest for Pesticide Content
1. Onion 2. Avocado 3. Sweet corn (Frozen) 4. Pineapples 5. Mango 6. Asparagus 7. Sweet peas (Frozen) 8. Kiwi 9. Bananas 10. Cabbage 11. Broccoli 12. Papaya 13. Blueberries 14. Cauliflower 15. Winter Squash 16. Watermelon 17. Sweet potatoes 18. Tomatoes 19. Honeydew melon 20. CantaloupeIf you are pregnant or have young children it would be wise to avoid the first list or eat organic or organically grown only until we know more about the connection between these chemicals we are eating and the cause of ADHD. Of course living away from conventional big agra operations and eating organic or organically grown foods is the best way to avoid exposure overall. If you can't afford to eat organic, try peeling the fruits and veggies, especially apples, peaches, nectarines, pears, all of the easy ones anyway. The skins of these foods, although skins are also known for their high contents of vitamins, are where the bulk of the pesticides get stored. Unless the skin is thin, like in strawberries or raspberries, then the pesticides easily penetrate into the fruit itself.
