Tuesday, February 28, 2012

More Than Peeling Off The Skin {Did You Know Tuesdays}


   A lot of people purchase produce that is organic only when it has thin skin that we eat (like apples and tomatoes) so they aren't eating chemicals that would have been sprayed on the skin. In addition, many people buy "regular", non-organic produce that has thicker skin or is a root crop (like oranges, coconuts, beets, radishes, etc.), because they figure the chemicals are on the outside of the skin (or on the soil surface as in the case of root crops) and won't be ingested when the produce is eaten. They also do this because non-organic is cheaper in the grocery store.

   Makes sense doesn't it? Well I regret to tell you that, with further observation, it doesn't seem quite true. Tests and experiments have been taken to find the affects of chemicals on produce. One such test included spraying a coconut with red dye in the same increments as they would chemicals so they could visibly see the affects of the chemicals. The tester was shocked to discover that, when they cut open the coconut, the dye had absorbed through the hard shell and actually looked like there were red veins throughout the coconut meat. Gross!!! She was said to also have similarly tested a carrot. When she sliced it in half it had a red ring all the way down the carrot. Yuck!!! I also saw an experiment once on a health show on TV where they applied some glow-in-the-dark powder to a melon as if it was a chemical. Then they sliced it in half and turned off the light. The "chemicals" had stuck to the knife and smeared right into the fruit as the knife cut through. Disgusting!!! Perhaps these experiments had more chemicals in them than the stuff we buy at the store, but it still gives us an idea of what we might be eating.

   What is my point in telling all this? I don't really know. Just passing it along I suppose :P Hope you at least find it interesting not look into what you're purchasing in the fruit and veggy section of the grocery store.

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