11/05/2016
FRUITS ARE GOOD, BUT WASH THEM FIRST
Have you come across people who buy fruits in the open market,supermart or while caught up in traffic jam? No big deal, you dare say. Quite true; but the big deal here is that, more often than not, the buyers simply bite into the fruits without caring to wash them first!
They seem oblivious of the fact that though the fruits are nourishing, they may have become contaminated as a result of unhygienic handling by everyone who has had reasons to touch them.
For one, even right at the farm, pesticides and manures that are usually applied during planting may still be on some of these fruits, and in order to make them safe for consumption, they should be washed thorough before eating.
Again, we must wash our fruits in order to minimise the effects of the activities of insects and rodents on them. When you realise that most fruits contain sugar that also attracts insects for various reasons, then you’d also realise that flies, butterflies, bees, etc., may have had their fair ‘share’ of your fruit before it gets to you!
Fruits that have cores, such as apples, for instance, may be a health risk if you don’t wash them thoroughly before digging your teeth into them. The reason is this: fruit flies may choose the core of your fruit as the ‘nest’ for their eggs, for instance; and because the eggs may be tiny and invisible to the eyes, when you eat fruits indiscriminately, you may be feeding on the eggs of fruit flies when you don’t mean to!
And what about the Ebola Virus Disease which, experts say, could also be contracted when you eat fruits that may have been bathed in the urine of fruit bats – the ultimate hosts of the Ebola virus!
Fruits for health
Under the right atmosphere, regular consumption of fruits and vegetables leads to superior health. Nutritionists also say diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancers, stroke and other chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and, perhaps, heart disease.
Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamins and minerals, fibre and other substances that are important for good health. Better still, most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling. As such, it is virtually impossible to get fat on a diet of fruits and vegetables.
A specialist in diabetes, Dr. Afokoghene Isiavwe, recommends that half of your plate during each meal should be fruits and vegetables. She also says your age, s*x and activity level will determine how many calories you need each day; while your calorie needs determine how many fruits and vegetables you should eat.
The America-based Centre for Disease Control and Prevention recommends eating fruits and vegetables of different colours, which it says gives the body a wide range of valuable nutrients like fibre, foliate, potassium and vitamins A and C.
For the ageing brain, fisetin, a unique flavonoid compound found naturally in many fruits and vegetables, is very useful. According to a publication in the journal Neuroscience Letters, fisetin is present in strawberries, blueberries and the skin of cucumbers. A wealth of scientific research says a diet packed with raw fruits and vegetables can help prevent amyloid plaque formation (which contributes to memory loss) in the ageing brain and helps to maintain normal memory processes.
For the beauty conscious, a University of St. Andrews, UK, study reveals that fruit and vegetable intake is also associated with healthy glowing skin. According to the research published in the American Journal of Public Health, carotenoids in the fruits are responsible for the healthy skin glow. Carotenoids are the red, yellow and orange pigments found in fruits and vegetables. They deposit under the skin and provide several health benefits.
Again, a series of studies co-authored by Prof. Sarah Stewart-Brown at the University of Warwick showed that individuals who consumed the most fruits and vegetables were least likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and other mental issues. They also tended to be more satisfied with their lives.
“Wonderful news!” you dare exclaim. And for those who daily load up on fruits and veggies, it’s time to give yourself a thumb-up.
Perhaps not so quickly! This is because nutritionists have also expressed concerns about certain unethical practices that go with planting and harvesting of fruits, especially in the laboratories where all sorts of experiments are carried out in the name of increasing yields. At the end of the day, foods – including fruits – turn out to be what they ought not: dirty. Dirty, not in the sense of soiled with dirt, but because they are unsafe.
These days, it is common to encounter ‘seedless’ fruits on supermarket shelves. They are mostly imported – from the Middle East, the United States and sundry other places. They are engineered in the laboratories and are generally referred to as ‘genetically modified.’
Those that are not genetically modified are saturated with pesticides in the process of planting, tending and harvesting. Worse still are fruits shipped across the continents. They may be infested with different bacteria that can cause serious health risks.
In fact, experts say different types of dangerous bacteria are the single highest cause of food-borne illnesses, as they can cause the spread of salmonella, a bacterium that causes food poisoning and typhoid fever in humans; or shigella, a bacterium that causes dysentery.
Nutritionists give a list of fruits usually called the ‘Dirty Dozen,’ and they include apples (which contain more than 40 different pesticides, as fungus and insect threats prompt farmers to spray various chemicals on their orchards); celery (more than 60 pesticides); strawberry (nearly 60); peaches (nearly 60); spinach (nearly 50); grapes (more than 30); bell peppers (nearly 50); potatoes (more than 35); blueberries (more than 50); and lettuce (more than 50). Cucumber, runner beans, and cabbage also feature in this category.
How to go about it, since you must eat fruits and veggies daily? Nutritionists advise that we eat organic fruits and vegetables. We are also advised to wash them thoroughly before eating.
For clean fruits, vegetables
Make sure your kitchen sink is clean or place a large mixing bowl in the sink.
Add the produce to the sink and cover with cold water (don’t overcrowd the sink).
Add 1-2 cups of plain white vinegar and soak for 10-15 minutes. Rinse well
For washing lettuces and other greens, soak for a minute or two and then rinse very well.
