Does choosing organic foods over conventional foods prevent cancer? What effect do pesticides have on cancer risk?
in a review to update Evidence on human exposure and toxicity to pesticides The evidence linking pesticide exposure and cancer is so overwhelming that the role of pesticides in the development of cancer “cannot be doubted.” However, most of the evidence is shows DNA damage from pesticides occurs from occupational exposure among farmers and workers in farms, the pesticide industry, or people living in high-spray areas, as you can see in my video at 0:35 Pesticides and cancer risk.
there is evidence connecting to DNA damage from non-commercial pesticide exposure – in this case, single- and double-stranded DNA fragmentation in the sperm of men with high levels of pesticides flowing through their bodies – but this was in China, where average pesticide concentrations are four times higher than in some other parts of the world.
Another way pesticides could potentially be easy to Tumor development occurs through adverse effects on anticancer immunity. Natural killer (NK) cells are our body’s first line of white blood cell defense against cancer cells and virus-infected cells. It has been observed that pesticides have a detrimental effect on these guard cells, reducing their ability to kill tumor cells. For example, if you Keep A bunch of NK cells in a petri dish with human leukemia cells without any pesticides, your natural killer cells can clean house and wipe out more than half the cancers. But if you drop a little pesticide on them, the NK cells become so incapacitated that the cancer wins the day, as you can see below and at 1:37 in my Video.
But how many pesticides are we talking about? researcher used Its highest levels were found in people who actively sprayed pesticides. But about what? Look Only on pesticide residues left on conventional produce? Is choosing biologicals for cancer prevention worth the investment?
Pesticides can be detected in the blood and urine of more than 90% of the US population, no matter where they work or live. We know it’s from the food we eat because crossover trials where people switched between conventionally grown foods and organic foods showed that you can turn urine concentrations of pesticide metabolites on and off like a light switch. But this does not mean that pesticides are harming us.
The health consequences of eating pesticide residues from conventionally grown foods remain unknown, but a recent study showed that people who reported the highest frequency of organic food consumption had about a 25% lower risk of getting cancer. This study is the first of its kind evaluate The relationship between frequency of organic food consumption and cancer risk is moderated by a wide range of other factors. Does it matter that organic food consumers are younger? The researchers controlled for that and still found a significantly lower risk of cancer. But perhaps organic consumers have less cancer because they are more affluent or more highly educated or thinner, or perhaps they exercise more or eat less meat or smoke less. No, the researchers controlled for all this and still found a significantly lower cancer risk among organic consumers. Maybe their diets differ in other ways, though—more fruits and vegetables overall, or less junk food? No, they were still found to have a very low risk of cancer. “Our results suggest that higher organic food consumption is associated with reduced overall cancer risk,” the researchers concluded.
That was the most sophisticated study of its kind to date, but there was an earlier study that was even larger and had much less evidence. found Possibly leading to a reduction in the incidence of all cancers except one type of blood cancer—non-Hodgkin lymphoma. You can see the data below and at 3:59 in my Video.
figure show There is no difference overall in cancer between those who never choose biologics and those who usually or always do so; The only significant findings were a reduced risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and an increased risk of breast cancer. Is it possible that women who choose organic food are more conscientious about breast cancer screening, and this explains the higher diagnosis rates? We really don’t know.
Of course, the thing we care about most is not just cancer, but all-cause mortality – the risk of dying prematurely. As it turns out, a pesticide called beta-hexachlorocyclohexane has high blood levels Connected With a significantly shorter life span. How do we lower our standards? There was a study decades ago that found That a vegetarian mother’s breast milk contained less beta-hexachlorocyclohexane than the milk of her non-vegetarian sister, who was also breastfeeding at the time. The vegetarian sister apparently had levels of that pesticide that were about a third lower than her omnivorous brother, as you can see below and my link at 4:48 Video.
This is not surprising, since this class of chlorinated pesticides is fat soluble, so they are found Most often in foods of animal origin.
A recent study failed to look at beta-hexachlorocyclohexane, but examined polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and found They were associated with an increased risk of mortality. Again, the toxins were found in the same types of foods: eggs, dairy products, and animal fats. Therefore, it is no surprise that the blood of vegetarian eaters was found being “significantly less polluted than omnivores” in the context of a full range of PCBs, including PCBs found to be associated with increased mortality in studies; But vegans did not have lower levels of beta-hexachlorocyclohexane.
The bottom line: If you’re concerned about the adverse health effects of pesticides and pesticide-type compounds, you may want to reduce your intake of animal products. But when it comes to fruits and vegetables, their benefits Eat Conventionally grown produce far outweighs any potential risks from exposure to pesticides. Therefore, concerns about the dangers of pesticides should not discourage us from eating as many fruits and vegetables as possible. This will provide us with huge health benefits, whereas any pesticide on those same fruits and vegetables can have potentially lifelong harm. estimated On average, shaving only a few minutes off a person’s life is nothing compared to the nutritional benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables.
doctor’s note
For more information on organic foods see related posts below.
