Pesticides pose cancer risks comparable to smoking, study warns

(NaturalHealth365)  Pesticides and herbicides are well known for their toxic and carcinogenic traits, with major manufacturers like Monsanto becoming the subject of many lawsuits for the damage their products have done.  Unfortunately, pesticide use is extremely widespread in the food industry and commercial and residential landscaping.

Of course, different parts of the country utilize pesticides in different ways and varying amounts, so a large-scale comprehensive study would provide much appreciated proof about the impact of these products.  Therefore, a group of researchers published a meta-analysis in Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society to determine the linear relationship between pesticide use and cancer rates.

Their study is detailed, exquisitely designed, and deeply troubling – but there is hope.  Let’s take a look at what they found and what you can do to mitigate your risk.

Pesticides are everywhere, are they slowly killing you?

Pesticide (and herbicide) use has ramped up with the introduction of potent, easily sprayed chemicals such as, glyphosate.  While dozens, if not over 100 commercial pesticides are in use today, roughly 70 get the most distribution.

These chemicals are used to increase crop yields, necessitating spraying all over agricultural fields, but they are also used in commercial and residential landscaping.  If a landscaper works on your lawn or a neighbor’s property, there is a good chance they are using glyphosate or some other toxic chemical to eliminate weeds or insects.  To avoid this, you have to be quite vocal to say ‘no!’ to this practice.

While glyphosate has been proven to be linked to lymphoma and other cancers, there is less research and less litigation about other types of chemical applications.  The concern of the research team we are writing about was that pesticides, in general, are directly linked with cancer, which is what they set out to investigate.

New study reveals alarming link between high-risk pesticides and elevated cancer rates

Researchers gathered data for 69 individual pesticides used throughout the continental United States for this study.  These pesticides are the most commonly used, and the researchers separated them into low risk for cancer groups and high-risk cancer groups based on studies done on the individual chemical compounds within each pesticide.

They also took cancer incidence rates from each location where they gathered agricultural pesticide use data.  For these sets of data, they separated out individual cancer rates as well as Parkinson’s disease and a few other neurodegenerative conditions.

The researchers analyzed the data based on the amount of pesticide use, high-risk for cancer pesticides, and low risk for cancer pesticides.

Their findings demonstrated that areas with high-risk, high-concentration pesticide use had a linear, positive relationship with developing all forms of cancer they had data for, including Hodgkin’s and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, colon, bladder, lung, and “all types” for the rest (to determine cancer development in general).

In the areas where low-risk pesticides were sprayed, cancer risks were not significantly above the baseline for the average person.  However, in areas where high-risk pesticides were used, cancer rates were significantly higher across the board for every type of cancer.  The difference between low-risk and high-risk pesticides is staggering, and the relationship is fairly profound, meaning more exposure to high-risk pesticides increases your cancer risk astronomically.

How to mitigate your pesticide exposure to cancer-causing pesticide

If you are reading this article, it is probably unlikely that you use pesticides that much, but it doesn’t mean you are not exposed to them.  If you live in an urban area, the shops and businesses around you may use pesticides in their landscaping, but your exposure is probably very minimal.  If you rent from a landlord, ask if they use pesticides when working on the home’s exterior parts.

Avoid using Raid-type products to kill bugs; bugs are an integral part of the ecosystem, and there are many holistic and natural ways to get insects out of your home that do not resort to spraying them with poison that can cause cancer for you and your family.

Pesticide exposure from produce is a serious concern, especially with foods like apples, potatoes, and strawberries, which tend to absorb more chemicals.  Opt for organic or locally grown options from farms that don’t use pesticides, especially for these “big offenders.”  While going fully organic may not always be feasible, prioritizing these items can significantly reduce exposure to harmful chemicals and support your health.

Reach out to your local elected officials and state representatives to support petitions aimed at banning industrial-scale, high-risk pesticides before they cause further harm to our food system and increase cancer rates.  By taking action, we can help to protect future generations from the dangers of these chemicals.

Though change takes time, with enough pressure, we can phase out these harmful chemicals in favor of safer, more environmentally friendly alternatives that benefit all of us.

Sources for this article include:

Frontiersin.org

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