raw vegetables have parasites?

[joyce09]

When I suggested RAW vegetables to my extended family, they said that raw vegetables have parasites (which will be killed by cooking) and some parasites will multiply in one's body for years before they show up as a serious problem. How valid is their concern?

[Cottonball McFluffy]

Erm, as far as I know, parasites are an animal thing. They enjoy organic musty conditions where they get fed processed nutrition without having to work for it, like in your digestive track. People (and other animals) primarily get parasites from eating meat in it's various forms. Specifically raw meat. Cooking the raw meat would destroy parasites and their eggs. Parasites in plant life usually don't much care for humans or even thrive inside of us. If a plant is parasitic itself, like moss or some orchids, then it's really only interrested in finding another plant to grow on. Human being would be poor nutrition for it. If it's a parasitic creature on a plant, then it's again more likely interrested in the plant as a nutritional source because humans don't provide the same things for it. Molds are pretty much the only thing that can thrive inside humans.
Maybe some unwashed seaweed might have parasites harmfull to humans?

Maybe your extended family got confused between parasites and bacteria? There is always a risk of getting something like e. coli from poorly washed vegetables thought even that is due to contact with animal feces.

[streetsurfer]

I think that is a sound reply. Parasites may travel on the outside of food but washing veggies well, bv soaking in water with a little acv is all I do. There are many other soil organisms that are actually good for us and lead to a strong immune system and good mental health. The plant parasites like root knot nematodes that leave the little pimples on garlic are not harmful to humans. They may have meant parasites in the soil like roundworms, hookworms, pinworms. One could also get those parasites by petting a dog or cat, or walking across a lawn barefoot. You could of course tell them the next time you see them with their shoes off that they are at risk of getting parasites, but why repeat their folly. Those type worms sense an acid in the sweat on the soles of our feet to know if we are a suitable host. I'd say research it a little more along the lines of what mcfluffy has said, so you have some more of his/her solid information to counter them with. If what your people say is true, I would imagine it it be a real common thread among healthy raw food eaters? Such is just not the case.

[k8sl8]

I don't usually have tv on, but Dr. Oz was on in the bedroom... walked in on a conversation much like this one. Strawberries, indeed DO have 'bugs'. He posted an effective, inexpensive veggie/fruit wash on his website made out of acv, lemon and some other things I didn't hear... I haven't had time to check it out yet, but sounds like a plan.

[PunkRotten]

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is acv??

[joyce09]

Thanks to everyone who responded.

I found the following from the internet.

Want to use a fruit and vegetable wash, but scared off by the price? Here's how to make your own at a fraction of the price:
What You Need:
• White vinegar
• Water
• A spray bottle
What You Do:
For Hard-skinned Fruits and Vegetables:
1. Fill a spray bottle with equal parts white vinegar and water.
2. Then, spray the solution onto your fruits and vegetables; rub it in; and rinse.
For Soft-skinned Fruits and Vegetables:
1. Fill a bowl with equal parts white vinegar and water.
2. Then, soak your fruits and vegetables in the solution for a minute or two, and rinse.
Why This Works
The acetic acid in vinegar kills bacteria and helps to dissolve the wax and pesticide residues found on the skins of many fruits and vegetables.

What do you think of this wash formular?
Does anyone know whether acv or white vinegar is more effective?

P.R., acv is apple cidar vinegar.

[Revvell]

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is acv??

Apple Cider Vinegar

[Revvell]

Go outside and breath .... you'll inhale parasites. Walk barefoot anywhere ~ you'll get parasites through the skin. Parasites probably live in our stinky smelly shoes so, wearing them may not even be a solution. Work in the soil of your garden ~ parasites. Breath the stuff in a cat's litter box... parasites.

Operative word here ~ parasite. They live on/in whatever host they can find.

I rarely wash my produce, I go barefoot inside.. outside..I breath the air; I work in my garden often w/out gloves.. Yeah, danger surrounds us. Guess I like danger and I'm still here! :cool:

My feeling is, being infected with other peoples' fears is much more dangerous than living life and eating raw produce.

[RawKnitster]

My feeling is, being infected with other peoples' fears is much more dangerous than living life and eating raw produce.

Nominating this one for quote of the month, maybe quote of the year. :D

[joyce09]

Ignorance is no bliss. Asking for information is not fear. I think one of the main funtions of this board is to asking for and receiving information so that we may gain knowledge about healthful living.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Go outside and breath .... you'll inhale parasites. Walk barefoot anywhere ~ you'll get parasites through the skin. Parasites probably live in our stinky smelly shoes so, wearing them may not even be a solution. Work in the soil of your garden ~ parasites. Breath the stuff in a cat's litter box... parasites.

Operative word here ~ parasite. They live on/in whatever host they can find.

I rarely wash my produce, I go barefoot inside.. outside..I breath the air; I work in my garden often w/out gloves.. Yeah, danger surrounds us. Guess I like danger and I'm still here! :cool:

My feeling is, being infected with other peoples' fears is much more dangerous than living life and eating raw produce.

Rev could be sharing my story here. I'm the same... :p

[Mary Kay]

Steve Meyerowitz, AKA the Sproutman, as I recall, without looking up, lists sev'l ways of soaking your produce in one of his books about fasting:


ACV,

bleach ---believe it or not. According to him, it's okay to use on thicker skinned stuff, like apples, but I wouldn't want to use it on grapes, that could have broken skins etc.

I think he also says food-grade hydrogen peroxide --if not him, then I've read it elsewhere....

and one he doesn't mention that I've heard is grapefruit seed extract.

All of these require just a small part added to a water soak. Soak for about 20 min.

With the bleach, you make sure to rinse, and if you're worried about the bleach, if it's totally dry, the bleach has dissipated. I'm not too fond of breathing this --having it fume in the house though, but if that's all I had on hand......

As far as ACV or white vinegar, I'd suspect either would work....

*********

Other people, like Aajonus Vonderplanits (the raw meat guy) say that if you're truly healthy, your body will fight any parasites off.

Just some thoughts, HTH,

Mary Kay

[Mnbordergirl]

If night soil (i.e. human feces) is used as fertilizer, hepatitus may be passed. Strawberries are supposed to be a culprit

[Icequeen]

I learned last year NOT to use white vinegar as a produce wash unless you can confirm from the manufacturer, their distilling process. Most companies white vinegars are processed with petroleum products, so basically, you are taking off bugs only to replace with petro chemicals.

Apple cider vinegar is processed in a fashion that doesn't require anything other than, I believe it was fermentation? (can't remember all the details).

Since I read the article, I swithed to ACV for all my produce washing (I use it because I was told it was the most effective at removing pesticides, and since I live in Alaska, where my organic produce selections are limited... I have to buy non-organic items and want to get them as clean as possible). The nice thing, Costco has gallon jugs of ACV for 3 bucks.

[joyce09]

I learned last year NOT to use white vinegar as a produce wash unless you can confirm from the manufacturer, their distilling process. Most companies white vinegars are processed with petroleum products, so basically, you are taking off bugs only to replace with petro chemicals.

Apple cider vinegar is processed in a fashion that doesn't require anything other than, I believe it was fermentation? (can't remember all the details).

Since I read the article, I swithed to ACV for all my produce washing (I use it because I was told it was the most effective at removing pesticides, and since I live in Alaska, where my organic produce selections are limited... I have to buy non-organic items and want to get them as clean as possible). The nice thing, Costco has gallon jugs of ACV for 3 bucks.

Thank you.

[paperoceans]

You have nothing to worry about, just clean your fruits and veggies. But if you were eating raw meat, that would be another story...

[Mary Kay]

Thanks!

Mary Kay

[Mary Kay]

Thanks. I totally forgot about the white vineg thing, since I have been making my own ACV!

LOL, yrs ago when I used to get yeast infections, I used to use distilled white vinegar. I don't know if they made it with petro-chemicals back then, but imagine what I used to put up inside me if it was! :eek:

Mary Kay

[maria84]

yes, good answer, ice queen. i've just been rinsing my produce because i didn't care but i'm sure a good acv rub will be a healthier option!

i like that you can get unpasteurized apple cider vinegar in the store. double bonus if you want to use it for anything else

[hsujesse]

Here's another viewpoint, especially if you're living in Hawaii:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=watch-out-hawaii-veggies-may-harbor-2009-01-08

http://ratlungwormhawaii.org/pages/grahamsstory.html

Scary stuff...

[DopeRawAbundance]

Raw vegetables have parasites? Maybe. Are they also teeming with beneficial bacteria? Absolutely.

So how do parasites get out of control? Worrying about them is one way to give them the upper hand. When you worry, you're actually making yourself more susceptible, because negative emotions weaken your immune system.

So try this: focus on the beneficial bacteria, because they exist everywhere in abundant form, and they will protect you.

Blessings!

[Anna2010]

Here's another viewpoint, especially if you're living in Hawaii:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=watch-out-hawaii-veggies-may-harbor-2009-01-08

http://ratlungwormhawaii.org/pages/grahamsstory.html

Scary stuff...

Thanks.

Do you guys think that putting vegetable greens in a high-power blender (making green smoothies) will kill all parasites/insects/their eggs?

[Anna2010]

Do you guys think that putting vegetable greens in a high-power blender (making green smoothies) will kill all parasites/insects/their eggs?

Does anyone have an answer to the question?

[sport]

Thanks.

Do you guys think that putting vegetable greens in a high-power blender (making green smoothies) will kill all parasites/insects/their eggs?

I can not see any reason why it should.
If you are worried you should get a sanitiser. I have one but do not use it very often.

[Anna2010]

Thank you, Sport. I thought that the blender would chop them to pieces.

[sport]

http://www.amazon.com/Samson-Ultrasonic-Vegetable-Washer-GBW-100/dp/B0002YQYIG

This is what I have.

[Anna2010]

Wow. This is the first time have I heard of a vegetable and fruit washer. So how do you operate it? Do you just put in vegetables and fruits and push a button and add water and they will get cleaned? If it is that easy, I will invest in it. Washing greens right now costs me so much time and patience that it is a real chore for me.

[sport]

It has a seperate program for fruit and for veg. You put them in and press the button.
It is for sterilising. You will need to rinse them afterwards.

[Anna2010]

Thank you Sport for answering.

Does "sterilizing" mean that all the germs/insects/parasites/their eggs will be killed while the nutrients/enzymes in the fruits/vegetables are not injured? I wonder how the machine can distinguish between the (harmful) living organisms outside the produce and the (good) enzymes inside the produce.

[sport]

Heat is what kills enzymes and it does not heat. The enzymes are safe.

[Anna2010]

Thanks for answering, Sport.

So this sterilizing machine operates differently from the industry machine which "irradiates" produce to kill parasites, etc.? Are you aware of ANY controversy about this kind of sterilising machine?

[sport]

Are you aware of ANY controversy about this kind of sterilising machine?
I have not heard of anything.

[Anna2010]

Thank you Sport. I really appreciate your help.

[Seductive Arts]

When I suggested RAW vegetables to my extended family, they said that raw vegetables have parasites (which will be killed by cooking) and some parasites will multiply in one's body for years before they show up as a serious problem. How valid is their concern?

All foods have parasites. Insects lay eggs in fruits and veggies all the time in order to feed their young. Ever wonder why you buy bananas and keep them out on the table for days and you start to get fruit flies out of no where

Yes, cooking kills them. But you can solve that issues by buying wormwood, black walnut and clove combination parasite killers at Whole Foods or any health food store. You take internally a few times a day for weeks and you kill the intestinal parasites.

[Seductive Arts]

You have nothing to worry about, just clean your fruits and veggies. But if you were eating raw meat, that would be another story...

Not if you freeze the meet for a week. Most fine restuarants do this for sushi, steak tartar and carpaccio. Freezing for days kills parasites in both meats, fruits and vegetables.

[Seductive Arts]

Erm, as far as I know, parasites are an animal thing. They enjoy organic musty conditions where they get fed processed nutrition without having to work for it, like in your digestive track. People (and other animals) primarily get parasites from eating meat in it's various forms. Specifically raw meat. Cooking the raw meat would destroy parasites and their eggs. Parasites in plant life usually don't much care for humans or even thrive inside of us. If a plant is parasitic itself, like moss or some orchids, then it's really only interrested in finding another plant to grow on. Human being would be poor nutrition for it. If it's a parasitic creature on a plant, then it's again more likely interrested in the plant as a nutritional source because humans don't provide the same things for it. Molds are pretty much the only thing that can thrive inside humans.
Maybe some unwashed seaweed might have parasites harmfull to humans?

Maybe your extended family got confused between parasites and bacteria? There is always a risk of getting something like e. coli from poorly washed vegetables thought even that is due to contact with animal feces.


Parasites is not a meat thing. Animals get parasites from eating vegetation. Most humans consume herbivore meats. That is animals who eat vegetation. That is where herbivores get their parasites from....vegetation.

Humans can get parasites from vegetation as well.

[Seductive Arts]

Go outside and breath .... you'll inhale parasites. Walk barefoot anywhere ~ you'll get parasites through the skin. Parasites probably live in our stinky smelly shoes so, wearing them may not even be a solution. Work in the soil of your garden ~ parasites. Breath the stuff in a cat's litter box... parasites.

Operative word here ~ parasite. They live on/in whatever host they can find.

I rarely wash my produce, I go barefoot inside.. outside..I breath the air; I work in my garden often w/out gloves.. Yeah, danger surrounds us. Guess I like danger and I'm still here! :cool:

My feeling is, being infected with other peoples' fears is much more dangerous than living life and eating raw produce.

Mmm, I wouldn't suggest anyone walking barefoot outside. Not fear, just common sense to aiding to poor health and hygiene. You know how many dogs, cats and other pets that room outside the home get affected by worms and other parasites? That goes the same for humans, too. That is why man evolved to create shoes for a reason in order to prevent parasites from attacking the feet, which has caused many health illnesses.

Why don't you think that many tropical places consume large amounts of spicy foods? Because many spices kills parasites that plagued the health of people in agricultural lands that are lushed with enormous vegetation and the various insects that come along with a tropical territory in all around the world. The less the tropical environment the less parasites. But that does not mean they you can't get them. It is just more insect life forms in plush vegetation territories.

Do raw, fine, but raw like cooked foods doesn't save anyone from parasite infections. Parasites is a real health issue. However, there are natural remedies to easily rid your body from them.

Another remedy, I haven't mention is eating 10 papaya seeds daily for a week kills parasites. This is a common practice in Southeast Asia. So go buy yourself a papaya and eat the seeds.

[Anna2010]

Why don't you think that many tropical places consume large amounts of spicy foods? Because many spices kills parasites that plagued the health of people in agricultural lands that are lushed with enormous vegetation and the various insects that come along with a tropical territory in all around the world.

Another remedy, I haven't mention is eating 10 papaya seeds daily for a week kills parasites. This is a common practice in Southeast Asia. So go buy yourself a papaya and eat the seeds.


Does eating fiery hot peppers kill parasites too?

[Seductive Arts]

Does eating fiery hot peppers kill parasites too?

All spicy foods kills parasites over time, but you have to consume this daily and for most meals. That is why cultures that eat spicy foods have spice in their foods breakfast, lunch and dinner. That may not be your eating lifestyle.

I say, buy some wormwood, clove and black walnut tincture at the health food store - $20 or under depending where you buy the stuff at store - and use daily, or buy a papaya and eat about 10 seeds daily until you used up all the seeds from the papaya fruit. Papaya has close to or over a hundred seeds. Turn the papaya meat into a smoothie mixed with strawberries and banana.

Killing parasites is not an expensive things. It is suggested to do a parasite cleanse twice a year whether you are on a raw or cooked diet.

[Anna2010]

Thank you. I will try papaya seeds as well as the spicy food diet.