A while back, I came across an interesting post on Instagram. It shared some important facts about pesticides — mainly that they’re in our food, that they harm us, and that insufficient effort is being made to limit their use.
And though it’s great to be aware of that, a crucial piece of information was missing for me. If farmers and governments are not taking enough action to protect our health, what can we do ourselves to limit our exposure? Can you really wash pesticides off?
Below I’ll share what I found out. But first, let’s look at what pesticides actually are and why some of them are so bad for us.
What Are Pesticides and Why Are They Used
Pesticides are meant to keep pests away. Insecticides keep insects at bay or kill them. Herbicides take care of unwanted plants, and fungicides are for fungi — like those that can grow in your bathroom (mold). Rat poison is a rodenticide.
You can use pesticides in your garden, home, or office. But most famously, they’re used in agriculture. And not all of them are bad.
Pesticides for Agricultural Use
When I lived in the Amazon rainforest, I saw the most incredible bugs! And yes, some were eating our veggies and fruits. The cacao trees, for a while, were battling a fungus, the tomatoes got visits from a funny black and orange bug, and the chiric sanango trees were eaten by a specific caterpillar. I learned that, like us, many insects have their favorite food.
I also learned that there are natural ways to get rid of them — from hand-picking caterpillars to using organic soap or water with sodium bicarbonate.
Unfortunately, somewhere along our agricultural journey, humans invented synthetic pesticides: substances created in labs that do not occur naturally in our world. And these are the pesticides that pose threats to our health.
Keep in mind that even organic soap, when used in excess, can still disrupt an ecosystem. However, there’s no evidence that organic soap causes cancer — while some synthetic pesticides can.
Some Examples of Synthetic Pesticides and the Harm They Do
Glyphosate — Neurotoxic, Carcinogenic, and More
The herbicide glyphosate is a famous one. It was introduced to inhibit the growth of weeds by blocking an enzyme plants need to produce certain amino acids — the building blocks of protein.
The problem is that this also blocks the production of aminos like tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine — precursors for serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that influence your happiness. If all the produce available to you is sprayed with this stuff, you might unwillingly sign up for depression.
But that’s not all. There is an ongoing lawsuit against Monsanto, who uses glyphosate in their products. Many of their customers are now coping with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system.1
Researchers have also called glyphosate neurotoxic. It can cause oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction, which can lead to behavioral and motor disorders. It’s also linked to hormone dysregulation and gut microbiome shifts.2
Neonicotinoids Kill Bees
Though banned for outdoor use in Europe, neonicotinoids remain one of the most used insecticides — especially in the U.S. The substance binds to the nerves of insects, overstimulates, and destroys them. Usually, insects die. But besides killing bugs that eat growing crops, it also kills bees — our planet’s main pollinators who actually support food production.
Neonicotinoids are applied to the soil, and plants suck them up as if they were water or nutrients. Even though the plant takes in only a little, it’s enough to make it toxic.
A large quantity of the pesticide remains in the soil. Rain can wash it into underground streams or nearby rivers, spreading it far and affecting birds, fish, chickens — and humans too.
Just as it affects the nervous system of insects, it affects ours as well. Neonicotinoid exposure in the womb can lead to birth defects in the heart and brain, and to autism-like symptoms.
For adults, exposure can lower testosterone, decrease sperm quality and quantity, and disrupt insulin and fat metabolism.3
So, Can You Really Wash Pesticides Off?
The short answer is: only what’s on the outside of the food. Washing fruit with running water removes surface pesticides. To eliminate more residues, you can soak produce in water with vinegar or sodium bicarbonate.4 5
However, any pesticide ‘inside’ the fruit, vegetable, grain, nut, seed, seafood, or meat cannot be washed away. Exposed food will never be fully toxin-free, but there are still a few things you can do to limit your intake.
Boiling Reduces Certain Pesticides
Several studies have shown that boiling, blanching, and stir-frying can reduce the amount of pesticides in food. Though this mainly removes surface pesticides, it can slightly reduce the amount inside.
Different methods work best for different foods and pesticides.6 7
Overall, heating food helps remove more of the water-soluble pesticides. Keep in mind that the chemicals can remain in the boiling water, so it’s best to discard that water afterward.
Peeling Your Foods
Pesticides can penetrate thicker skins or peels. So peeling apples, cucumbers, or other thick-skinned produce helps to get rid of some toxins.
The Dirty Dozen
Have you heard of the “Dirty Dozen” list? It’s a list of produce with the highest pesticide residues. Minimizing your intake of these foods can also help. Sadly, one of my favorites is number 3 on EWG’s 2025 Dirty Dozen.
1. Spinach
2. Strawberries
3. Kale, collard, and mustard greens
Check out the full list here.
Buy Organic
Organic farms don’t use synthetic pesticides. They may still use pesticides, but these should be organic substances. This greatly minimizes your intake — though not to zero.
As pesticides are used all around the globe, most soils are already contaminated, even if only slightly. Our water and air are contaminated too. It’s no longer possible to live a fully healthy life on this planet. And if we keep farming like we do, we’ll only make it worse for generations to come.
How Can We Change?
Support a local regenerative farm.
The regenerative farm is an upgrade to the organic one. Their aim is to produce healthy foods by restoring the soil. No synthetic pesticides or other harmful practices are used. These farms generally produce the healthiest and most nutrient-dense foods.
Buy Less
Our farming practices aren’t the only things pumping toxins into our world, food, children, and pets. The fashion industry is another major polluter. The “I need a new phone every year” attitude is also a big problem. Driving your car to the store around the corner is too. And did you know that hair dye and nail polish are toxic as well?
But guess what? My second-hand Swappie phone is still alive after 3.5 years in the 80% humidity of the Amazon rainforest. Do you know how many second-hand dresses I could buy by not getting a new phone every year?
So — make a guess how to easily afford those more expensive organic foods!
The Bigger Picture
Though washing your food may seem irrelevant in the larger scheme of things, please still do it — it *does* help. But remember that it’s not solving the root cause. We need different farming solutions and a different attitude toward life. And, the power to change is also in your hands.
“In this world a species can only thrive when everything else around it thrives too.”
“This is not about saving our planet, it’s about saving ourselves.”
David Attenborough
More info on regenerative farming
Organic, biological, ecological, local, seasonal, regenerative… Does it really make a difference what you eat?
The Chaikuni Institute in Peru.
Lugar da Terra in Portugal.
Get info on sustainable fashion:
Angel Fashion Academy
Momenten met Corrie
Images
Cover image: Pexels
Caterpilars: mirjamsvideos
Apple: Any Lane, Pexels
Chaikuni: mirjamsvideos