Diet, Not Pesticides, Major Health Problem Says Scientist

It was interesting to hear what Bruce Ames, senior scientist at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute in California, recently stated about the unproven assertion pesticides on food are harmful to human beings.

According to Ames, the idea of not eating fruits and vegetables because of fear of pesticides, or not eating them in general, would be far more harmful to people than a small amount of pesticide on the food.

Ames also struck out at the assertion organic fruits and vegetables are safer.

He said, "If you ask the public what is causing cancer, they'll say it's the pesticides on fruits and vegetables, but that's the wrong message to give people. To me, the real risks are eating a bad diet, even if you just take obesity."

"Environmentalists hate me because I'm saying everything they've been passionate about for years is wrong. I think pesticides are good for the environment because you're getting more food out of less land and they're not giving you cancer at the level you're getting them."

In what would surprise most people, the majority of experts agree with Ames that it is better to eat fruits and vegetables of any kind, than to fore go them in lieu of fears of the effects of pesticides. That is more unhealthy than the latter.

Contrary to media reports, there is very little evidence pesticides on fruit and vegetables cause health problems.

Ames adds, that there are natural pesticides on every plant, which account for over 100 chemicals or more, which the plants have a a defense against predators. These account for over 99 percent of all the chemicals we consume, claims Ames, as are just as apt to cause cancer as synthetic pesticides are, according to studies.

"When you eat broccoli, you make compounds that work the same as dioxins" and bind the same receptor, Ames said. "When you compare the amounts, it seems like you should worry about broccoli. The whole thing didn't seem plausible."

The bottom line for Christians is to continue to be very skeptical of reports and studies which always have behind them more government control and centralized authority. This is even more dangerous to your health than anything else.