Do you eat fresh fruit and vegetables without risk? Here are some of the possible health risks and how you could prevent them yourself.
Why consume fresh fruits and vegetables with caution?
You can stay fit and healthy with vitamins, minerals and numerous other nutrients in natural form. However, if consumed improperly, fresh fruit and vegetables could also be dangerous to your health. This happens if you don't handle it with caution. Do you still remember the infection with Escherichia coli that spread in Western Europe a few years ago?Vegetables like cucumberswidespread? This affected thousands of people and even resulted in deaths. So what factors should you consider before consuming fresh fruits and vegetables?
What are the risks of infection?
Like other contaminated foods, fresh fruits and vegetables can be a source of various pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, salmonella and fungi. Eating it unwashed can cause vomiting, stomach upset, and fever from the germs on it. The danger here is that such microorganisms are resistant to environmental factors and can persist for a long time. The so-called intestinal viruses, from which children and adults so often suffer, are also mostly transmitted via the hands. By the time fresh fruit and vegetables reach your plate, they have already passed through dozens of hands with questionable hygiene.
Many plant varieties that grow close to the ground pose another danger - the so-called echinococcosis or dog tapeworm. Dogs infected with this excrete tapeworm eggs in their feces. These cling to strawberries, onions, radishes, lettuce and anything that grows near the ground. If you don't wash affected fresh fruits and vegetables properly, the eggs enter the body through the mouth and form cysts that could be the size of a child's head. This happens in the liver, intestines, lungs, brain and even the heart. In addition, the disease can develop without symptoms for years and damage the affected organ. Treatment is complicated and usually requires surgical intervention.
Do fresh fruits and vegetables cause stomach problems and allergies?
Although nitrates and chemicals are only dangerous in large quantities, children are more sensitive to them. In addition, almost every imported fruit and vegetable is treated with it to ensure a longer shelf life. Therefore, you should definitely wash such goods thoroughly before use, otherwise they could lead to allergic reactions and digestive disorders.
Normally, cellulose from fresh fruits and vegetables helps the intestines detoxify and improves peristalsis. This can also prevent constipation, with fiber helping to flush out toxins and cholesterol. They also provide a good environment for probiotics to thrive. However, all of this can cause discomfort in people with ulcers, colitis and other stomach diseases. Symptoms such as abdominal pain and flatulence can be observed. If these occur to you or your little ones, you should avoid legumes such as beans and vegetables such as cabbage, and be sure to peel tomatoes and cucumbers before eating them.
What other protective measures should you take?
In order to minimize any risks, you should always take a close look at fresh fruit and vegetables before buying them. Don't be fooled by the appearance of the products. If you notice even the slightest signs of rot, you can be sure that bacteria is developing on it. So try to only buy fresh, clean plant food, preferably organic if possible. Fresh fruit and vegetables also lose half of their vitamins when left to stand for long periods of time, which is why you should prefer local products that are significantly fresher than imported ones.
To wash the goods thoroughly, it is best to use cold running water and rinse each item well. The size doesn't matter, but you should also pay attention to the folds of the lettuce and onion leaves. The pollutants are usually hidden in these places. Also always try to peel the skin. Although most of the vitamins are located directly under the peel of the fruit and vegetables, they are retained when peeled carefully. Despite washing, infections could always occur on the surface, which is why peeling is particularly recommended for children.
