The food we eat on a daily basis can have a high impact on our reproductive cells. Nowadays, the food industry has gone to great lengths to make food available that can last on the shelves for a long time, even produce. In order to do this, they have allowed the use of reproductively toxic substances such as Butylated Hydroxyanisole or (BHA).
The International Agency for Research on Cancer says BHA is possibly carcinogenic to humans and also interacts with nitrates to form chemicals known to cause changes in the DNA of cells.
In other words, it is reproductively toxic, and this is just the beginning of the list. In addition to food additives that are not healthy, it has also been found that non-organic foods retain a higher level of toxic pesticides than organically grown food. Specially in India, the residue level of pesticides and other additives are 100s of times higher than permissible limit as there is no governing body keeping a check on it.
It has been well documented that pesticides can affect spermatogenesis leading to poor sperm quality and male infertility. A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine showed that women who undergo chronic pesticide exposure have a 30% decrease in fertility and longer time to conception for those that are able to conceive.
Due to the impact of all of these toxins on fertility, I think it is very important to know what goes into determining organic versus non-organic food.
The number of fertility centers opening up in the cities are quite alarming, the direction we are going as a society shows the signs of distress and infertility is almost becoming an epidemic. Amongst our own friend circle, (30 something age group) at least 3 out of 10 have undergone an IVF treatment. Yet, not many people pay attention to the root cause of this epidemic. We, the mid-thirty’s have been exposed to these toxic pesticides for the last 10 to 15 yrs maximum as it was introduced to our farms and fields in 1990s. Imagine what will happen to our kids by the time they grow up? they are exposed to it since their childhood. Not something that can be brushed under the carpet. Please ban pesticides from your life!
Do you give unfiltered tap water to your child? I am sure you do not. Then why feed them the food that is as dangerous as tap water?
Soul Bakers 