Accidents of poisoning caused by eating vegetables with residual toxic pesticides are happening from time to time. People are paying more and more attention to the pesticide content in vegetables. Some people believe that it is best to buy vegetables that have been chewed by insects, or vegetables that still have live insects on them. They think that vegetables that have been chewed by insects prove that they have not been sprayed with pesticides, and are therefore safer to eat. Is this really the case?
Actually, this is a misconception. It is neither scientific nor safe for people to selectively buy vegetables that have been chewed by insects. The belief that vegetables that have been chewed by insects are safer is simply wishful thinking, without any theoretical basis. Due to the difficulty of spraying pesticides uniformly in vegetable areas, when pesticides are sprayed in one area, pests quickly escape to another area to hide. After the pesticides lose their effectiveness, the pests come out again to eat the vegetables. This cycle repeats, and the pests develop resistance to the pesticides, becoming rampant. Therefore, vegetables with visible signs of insect damage are likely to have more pesticide residues, which can be more harmful to health.
In addition, various vegetables are covered with a layer of waxy substance on their surface, which acts as a barrier against pests and toxic substances. However, once the vegetable surface is damaged by pests, various pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi can invade, causing the stems and leaves to deteriorate and the taste to become abnormal. Experts warn people not to eat vegetables that have been chewed by insects.
Eating vegetables that have been chewed by insects with excessive pesticide residues can cause poisoning. The severity of the poisoning depends on the amount of residual pesticides ingested and absorbed by the body. When the amount of residual organophosphorus pesticides ingested is small or the absorption by the body is slow, mild poisoning symptoms generally appear several hours or more after eating. If a large amount is ingested, especially if a large amount of vegetable soup is consumed on an empty stomach, the pesticides are quickly absorbed. Moderate or severe poisoning symptoms can appear within several minutes to several tens of minutes after eating.
The manifestations of poisoning of different degrees also vary. Mild poisoning is mainly characterized by headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, excessive sweating, blurred vision, and pinpoint pupils. In addition to the above symptoms being more severe in moderate poisoning, there are also narrowed pupils, drooling, abdominal pain, diarrhea, profuse sweating, and mild difficulty breathing. Severe poisoning can also cause difficulty breathing, cyanosis of the lips, limb convulsions, highly constricted pupils, urinary and fecal incontinence, and even coma and shock, which can lead to death if not treated in time. Therefore, the harm of residual pesticides in vegetables to the body is incalculable. In order to prevent poisoning, it is necessary to carefully select vegetables before purchasing, and try to buy fewer vegetables with strange shapes and colors out of season. In fact, it is better to choose seasonal vegetables and eat local vegetables. If you want to buy out-of-season vegetables, it is best to buy more onions, carrots, eggplants, etc., as these vegetables have fewer pesticide residues.
The vegetables purchased at home must be thoroughly cleaned before consumption, and different vegetables have different cleaning methods. For example, for green pollution-free vegetables, they can be directly rinsed with water because they are grown using "pollution-free cultivation methods" and are relatively safe to eat. It is best to rinse them with running water. When cleaning tomato and fruit vegetables, add 2 grams of edible alkali, as edible alkali can neutralize pesticides. Leafy vegetables should be washed with rice water first, then soaked in diluted salt water for about 10 minutes, and finally rinsed with clean water. The best way to clean root vegetables is to peel them.
In addition, for vegetables that are prone to residue adhesion, such as cabbage and spinach, they can be soaked and cleaned with water. For vegetables that are not afraid of scalding, such as tomatoes, peppers, and green beans, they can be blanched in boiling water before cooking. For vegetables that are suitable for peeling, such as radishes, onions, and winter melons, peel them first and then rinse with clean water.
Editor's Note
Vegetables contain rich vitamins and provide various vitamins and minerals that the human body needs. 90% of the required vitamin C and 60% of the required vitamin A come from vegetables, which shows the contribution of vegetables to human health. Moreover, vegetables also contain a variety of phytochemicals that are recognized as effective ingredients for health, such as carotenoids, dithiocarbamates, and methylsulfonylmethane. Currently, many substances in fruits and vegetables that can effectively prevent chronic and degenerative diseases are being researched and discovered.
However, during the cooking process, some incorrect steps and methods can damage the vitamins in vegetables. Both vitamin C and vitamin B1 are sensitive to heat and cooking. It has been determined that stir-frying vegetables over high heat only results in a 17% loss of vitamin C, but if the vegetables are stewed after stir-frying, the loss of vitamins can reach 59%. Therefore, it is better to use high heat when stir-frying vegetables. This way, the cooked vegetables not only have a good color and taste, but also retain more nutrients. Adding a little vinegar when cooking can also help preserve vitamins. Some vegetables, such as cucumbers and tomatoes, are best eaten cold.
