Fruits are an essential part of our diet as they provide us with various vitamins and minerals. They not only help in maintaining our health but also contribute to our beauty and anti-aging efforts. However, in today's society, there are many unscrupulous vendors who adulterate fruits in order to make more money. Let's take a look at some of these "toxic" fruits that we encounter in our daily lives.
1. Peaches: Soaked in industrial citric acid
Peaches are soaked in industrial citric acid to make them appear bright red and prevent them from rotting easily. However, this chemical residue can damage the nervous system, cause allergic diseases, and even lead to cancer. Semi-ripe peaches are treated with alum, artificial sweeteners, and alcohol to make them crisp and sweet. Alum is mainly composed of aluminum sulfate, and long-term consumption can lead to bone hyperplasia, memory decline, dementia, decreased skin elasticity, and increased wrinkles. White peaches are fumigated with sulfur and may contain residues of sulfur dioxide.
2. Mangoes: Ripened with quicklime
Green mangoes are ripened using quicklime, which makes the skin appear yellow. However, these mangoes lack the characteristic taste and may also contain excessive amounts of preservatives.
3. Pears: Ripened with growth hormones
Pears are ripened using growth hormones to make them ripen early. They are then bleached and colored with bleaching agents (such as lemon yellow). The treated pears have a weak flavor and may sometimes have a strange odor and a rotten smell. These toxic pears have a short shelf life and are prone to rotting.
4. Bananas: Ripened with ammonia water
Bananas are ripened using ammonia water or sulfur dioxide. These bananas have a tender yellow skin, but the flesh is hard and the taste is not sweet. Sulfur dioxide can cause damage to the nervous system and also affect liver and kidney function.
5. Watermelons: Enlarged with growth agents
Watermelons are often treated with excessive amounts of ripening agents, growth agents, and highly toxic pesticides. These watermelons have uneven stripes on the skin, and when cut open, the flesh appears fresh but the seeds are white and have an unpleasant odor.
6. Grapes: Turned purple with ethylene
Unripe green grapes are soaked in a diluted solution of ethylene to turn them into purple grapes within a day or two. These grapes have uneven color, low sugar content, and less juice. Long-term consumption can be harmful to the human body.
7. Persimmons: Ripened with yeast
Persimmons are ripened using yeast or ripening agents, which greatly reduces their sweetness. Some fruit farmers also use chemicals to make the calyx of persimmons turn red. These chemical agents can leave residues in the persimmons, making them toxic.
8. Dates: Dyed with chemicals
Dates are soaked in boiling water, and regardless of how unripe they are, they turn red after soaking. Fruit vendors also use chemical dyes and industrial paraffin wax to make dates look attractive, but this makes the dates toxic.
9. Longans: Sprayed with sulfur to enhance color
Longans are sprayed with sulfuric acid or acidic solution to make them appear bright and attractive. Sulfuric acid is highly corrosive and can cause burns to the digestive tract. It is also prone to causing colds, diarrhea, and severe coughing.
10. Lychees: Soaked in sulfuric acid for color enhancement
Lychees are soaked in sulfuric acid solution or sprayed with ethylene solution to make them appear bright red and enticing. However, they are prone to rotting. These solutions are highly acidic and can cause peeling of the skin, foaming of the mouth, and burns to the intestines. Fruit vendors also fumigate lychees with sulfur dioxide, which can cause strong irritation to the eyes and throat, leading to dizziness, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Sulfur dioxide is also carcinogenic.
11. Citrus fruits: Polished with industrial paraffin wax
Citrus fruits are often excessively treated with preservatives during storage, colored with food dyes to make them look more appealing, and polished with industrial paraffin wax. Industrial paraffin wax contains heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, which can seep into the pulp and cause symptoms such as memory decline and anemia.
12. Apples: Enhanced with growth hormones
Apples are enhanced with growth hormones to make them bigger, colored with color additives to make them redder, and preserved with preservatives. Excessive use of growth hormones, color additives, and preservatives can harm the liver. Retail fruit vendors also apply industrial paraffin wax to apples to maintain their moisture and make them look fresh and appealing.
