If you were to ask me ‘what is the most important action I can take for my overall wellbeing, including mental health?’ My answer would be to eat organic food. Our food and environment is awash with chemical pesticides. These chemicals are tested individually for possible harm to health and an ‘acceptable amount’ is determined. But they are not tested as cocktails - no-one knows the impact of a mixture of pesticides on our bodies. In my mind if a chemical kills insects - well it must not be safe for any living thing including me! Simplistic I know - but it’s just common sense.
In recent testing of how many pesticides were found on UK food - the results are stark reading. 87.5% of pears contained pesticide cocktails with 4% containing nine or more. 55% of raspberries were found to contain multiple pesticides with four known probable carcinogens, two hormone disruptors, one developmental toxin which can effect sexual function and fertility, and one neurotoxin which can affect the nervous system and nerve tissue. That’s just food - these chemicals are in our soil and our water, and in the USA they have been found in the umbilical chords of new born babies.
The second most important thing you can do for your health is to eat more fruit and vegetables - don’t stop eating them because they are full of chemicals! Buy organic. This not only helps you, it helps the organic growers, our soil, water, the insects and whole eco-system. This also applies to meat and dairy. It’s all round good and the more we buy, the lower in cost they will become. I have eaten organic for many years - I was probably one of the first Riverford Farm customers! It has been my number one priority - and in times of hardship I found out which products are least and most sprayed and bought organic accordingly.
Make the best choices - find food with most and least chemicals here.
Find out more from Pesticide Action Network UK