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Cook In Hawkins Pressure Cooker. Is Cooking In It Bad For Health? How Can The Pesticides From Vegetables Be Removed?

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Posted on Sun, 15 Jul 2012
Question: I have following queries .Kindly answer :

1- I regularly cook in standard hawkins make pressure cookers .But somewhere i read that cooking in aluminium pressure cookers is XXXXXXX for health .Please advise .
2- How should i remove pesticides from the vegetables ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (54 minutes later)
Hello Mr Bhattacharya
Thanks for the query.
As far as I'm aware, the link between aluminium and health problems is far from proven. Additionally, there appears to be only a miniscule likelyhood of disease/illness caused by cooking utensils - far more likely to occur in people who work in with aluminium in industry.
There is a lot of controversy about aluminium pots,pans and pressure cooker but it is widely used in fizzy drink cans, so I would not be concerned about it. I know at one time aluminium was blamed for the onset of Alzheimers Disease, but the work that initially suggested it was found to be flawed because there had been a miscalculation in the aluminium levels.
Regarding pesticides.
 Rule number one: Wash your fruits like you wash your hands: "Use soap". just running your vegetables and fruits under tap water does little to remove oily grime. Agricultural pesticides do not come off in water, either. If they did, farmers would have to apply them after each rain or even a heavy dew. That would be both labor-intensive and expensive. So petrochemical companies make pesticides with chemical "stickers" that are insoluble in water. They do their job and stay on the fruit, rain or shine.

Soap, or detergent, is more effective in removing pesticide residues than you think.

It is necessary to rinse detergent-washed fruits before eating. Rinse until the water is clear. When you handle the detergent-washed fruit, you will also notice that it feels different, too. We are so used to fruit with chemical coatings on it that when we touch truly clean fruit, it's a new tactile experience. 

Many fruits and vegetables are not merely sprayed, but are waxed as well. So-called "food grade" waxes improve shelf life, appearance, and coat over and lock in any previously applied pesticides. This poses a problem, for waxes do not readily dissolve in detergent solution. The best is to simply peel them. Frequently waxed fruits include apples, pears, eggplant, cucumbers, squash, and even tomatoes are generally waxed.  One way to tell if a fruit or vegetable is waxed is to run your fingernail over it and see if you can scrape anything off. 
I hope to have answered your query however you may revert to me for any further query.
Please close this query if there is nothing to ask any more.
Best of luck.
Thanks
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1978

Answered : 6704 Questions

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Cook In Hawkins Pressure Cooker. Is Cooking In It Bad For Health? How Can The Pesticides From Vegetables Be Removed?

Hello Mr Bhattacharya
Thanks for the query.
As far as I'm aware, the link between aluminium and health problems is far from proven. Additionally, there appears to be only a miniscule likelyhood of disease/illness caused by cooking utensils - far more likely to occur in people who work in with aluminium in industry.
There is a lot of controversy about aluminium pots,pans and pressure cooker but it is widely used in fizzy drink cans, so I would not be concerned about it. I know at one time aluminium was blamed for the onset of Alzheimers Disease, but the work that initially suggested it was found to be flawed because there had been a miscalculation in the aluminium levels.
Regarding pesticides.
 Rule number one: Wash your fruits like you wash your hands: "Use soap". just running your vegetables and fruits under tap water does little to remove oily grime. Agricultural pesticides do not come off in water, either. If they did, farmers would have to apply them after each rain or even a heavy dew. That would be both labor-intensive and expensive. So petrochemical companies make pesticides with chemical "stickers" that are insoluble in water. They do their job and stay on the fruit, rain or shine.

Soap, or detergent, is more effective in removing pesticide residues than you think.

It is necessary to rinse detergent-washed fruits before eating. Rinse until the water is clear. When you handle the detergent-washed fruit, you will also notice that it feels different, too. We are so used to fruit with chemical coatings on it that when we touch truly clean fruit, it's a new tactile experience. 

Many fruits and vegetables are not merely sprayed, but are waxed as well. So-called "food grade" waxes improve shelf life, appearance, and coat over and lock in any previously applied pesticides. This poses a problem, for waxes do not readily dissolve in detergent solution. The best is to simply peel them. Frequently waxed fruits include apples, pears, eggplant, cucumbers, squash, and even tomatoes are generally waxed.  One way to tell if a fruit or vegetable is waxed is to run your fingernail over it and see if you can scrape anything off. 
I hope to have answered your query however you may revert to me for any further query.
Please close this query if there is nothing to ask any more.
Best of luck.
Thanks