Print This Post
Baby Carrot, Chlorine and More Urban Legend.
Written by Wellness Club on June 23, 2009 – 2:51 pm -Baby Carrot, Chlorine and More Urban Legend.
By Dr. Myatt
Sheesh. Do people really believe everything they read, good and bad, on the internet?
I received this note from a patient:
Subject: carrots
The FDA loves you and me so much!
Did you know?
The following is information from a farmer who grows and packages carrots for IGA, METRO, LOBLAWS, etc
The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots – most people probably know this already.
What you may not know and should know is the following:
Once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine in order to preserve them (this is the same chlorine used in your pool). [Dr. Myatt's NOTE: In all due fairness, it's also the same chlorine used in your municipal water purification. You're getting chlorine when you drink tap water and shower, not just when you eat baby carrots!]
Since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine.
You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots. This is the chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to have esthetically pleasing vegetables?
Chlorine is a very well-known carcinogen, which causes Cancer. [Dr. Myatt's Note: Chlorine by itself is not a known carcinogen. It becomes a carcinogen when it combines with certain organic material. Your municipal tap water is a bigger risk than "baby" carrots.]
I thought this was worth passing on. Pass it on to as many people as possible in hopes of informing them where these carrots come from and how they are processed.
I used to buy those baby carrots for vegetable dips. I know that I will never buy them again!!!!
The patient wrote: "Is anything safe to eat?"
My answer: yes, but I think most people would do well to stop reading unsolicited junk emails from non-medical sources. There’s a lot of "junk information" on the ‘net, even more than there is junk food in the grocery store!
Baby carrots are often larger carrots that were too misshapen to sell and have been whittled down. Their chlorine content is no bigger than any other pre-washed vegetables in the store. The chlorine from your tap water, especially if you bathe in it, poses a far bigger risk due to concentration and combination with organic products. (I’m putting the finishing touches on a water quality article for an upcoming HealthBeat).
Here’s the scoop from Snopes on "baby carrots":
http://www.snopes.com/food/tainted/carrots.asp
Related Posts
Print This Post
Posted in Family Health, Health Questions, Nutrition and Health, Opinion | Comments Off
