Foods That Can Damage Your Nerves

St Louis Spine and Joint Pain Specialists

You may have heard of the Dirty Dozen but if you haven’t this is a list you need to know about. The Dirty Dozen refers to twelves fruits and vegetables that tend to be higher in pesticides relative to other fruits and vegetables.

Many insecticides fall into a category known as organophosphates. The level used in the United States is low compared to other countries where the levels can be dangerously high. Take for instance India where 25 school children died from food contaminated with organophosphates in 2013.

People who are frequently around pesticides, such as farmers, are at highest risk for health problems related to organophosphates. However, acute and chronic exposure have been linked to health problems such as organophosphate-induced delayed polyneuropathy.

Organophosphate-induced delayed polyneuropathy is a condition that primarily affects the nerves that control a person’s muscles (motor nerves) or supply sensation (sensory nerves). When these nerves are damaged they may cause numbness, tingling, or weakness which can lead to subsequent pain.

Organic fruits and vegetables are most ideal to avoid pesticides such as Organophosphates but can be expensive. So we recommend making sure that you always adequately wash your fruits and vegetables to help protect yourself and family from unwanted chemicals. See below for a list of the ‘Dirty Dozen’:

The Dirty Dozen: