Deadly Greens

Preschool recess found me plucking plugs of grass and stuffing them into my gullet, emulating my then hero, Popeye. At the time, I did not realize my pica (eating of non-edible material) exposed me to pinworm or fecal-oral transmitted diseases.

But, adults should know better. Or maybe, they are so far removed from the food-chain that they forget that most vegetables are fertilized with ground-up animal body parts and feces and irrigated with unsanitized water. Produce is washed to rid it of pesticides, herbicides, and harmful bacteria.

The culprit currently making children and the elderly sick when eating spinach is E. coli 0157:H7. This bacterial strain gives off a toxin that sloughs off the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys, resulting in bloody diarrhea and the decreased ability to urinate.

Unlike most bacterial infections, E. coli 0157:H7 is not treated with antibiotics, as the killing of the bacteria releases more toxin (causing more internal damage). Instead, the affected are hospitalized and receive appropriate supportive care. Most recover; however, some are left with irreversible kidney damage. In the most severe cases, patients die.

So, as a public service announcement, wash your fruits and veggies. And, the next time you go to sneak an unwashed carrot, remind yourself it may have been raised in a deadly mix of fowl guts and pig poop.

~ Medagogue