“With the skin” vs. “with the skin”… How should I eat fruits and vegetables? [Health+]

#1. Apple peel contains a large amount of the flavonoid quercetin. This ingredient helps prevent debris from building up in the arteries. Apples are rich in hemoglobin, vitamins A and C, and fiber, which are good for blood circulation, skin care, and bowel cleansing. Eating an apple with the peel on before breakfast is said to be a tonic.

#2. Peach skin is rich in pectin, a dietary fiber useful for preventing constipation. It is also rich in vitamins and natural organic acids, making it effective for improving blood circulation, relieving fatigue, detoxifying, and strengthening immune function.

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#3. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which is good for eye health and vision protection. The skin of a carrot contains 2.5 times more beta-carotene than the center. It's best to cut it into circular pieces and eat the skin and center together, or to fry it with the skin on in oil.

We know that when eating fruits or vegetables like apples, peaches, carrots, and cucumbers, it's best to eat them whole, including the skin. In fact, the skin is several times richer in various nutrients than the flesh. Is this really the case?

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According to foreign media outlets such as the British Daily Mail, a joint research team from China's Anhui Agricultural University, Wuyi University, and Wuhan University has developed a new analysis method called Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) that can detect even low concentrations of pesticides. This is a precise analysis method that can identify even the smallest concentration of harmful substances that are harmful to human health.

In this study, researchers sprayed pesticides called thiram and carbendazim on apples and cucumbers, then washed them as if they were washing fruit at home.

As a result, it was confirmed that the pesticide remaining on the skin was difficult to remove by washing alone. The research team detected pesticide ingredients in cucumbers, shrimp, red pepper powder, and rice using the "surface-enhanced Raman scattering" method.

The research team announced this fact in the 7th issue of 'Nano Letters', an international academic journal in the field of chemistry published by the American Chemical Society.

What type of ingredient is the pesticide called "Carbendazim" revealed in this study?

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "Carbendazim" is a pesticide that may increase the risk of liver cancer in some animal studies. Thiram has been linked to developmental problems in fetuses and may be a general skin irritant. Exposure to high concentrations of carbendazim can cause symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and movement disorders.

The researchers said: "The results of this study prove that washing fruits and vegetables alone is not enough," and "We recommend peeling and eating foods like apples and cucumbers."

If you want to eat fruits and vegetables, including the skin, the easiest way to remove pesticide residue is to soak and wash them. This method involves soaking fruits and vegetables in clean water for about 5 minutes, then scrubbing them under running water for about 30 seconds. Vegetables washed this way remove about 55% of the remaining pesticides, and fruits remove about 40%.

Reporter Kim Ki-hwan kkh@segye.com

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