Organic Fruits & Vegetables--Beneficial or just Expensive?
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) compiled data from over 89,000 tests between 2000 and 2008. A list was compiled of the fruits and vegetables that contain the most pesticides (The Dirty Dozen) and those that have the least amount of pesticides (The Clean 15).
Pesticides have been shown to have many negative effects on our health, even in small amounts. They can be extremely damaging during fetal development and early childhood. Pesticides are neurotoxic (damage nerves), carcinogenic (cause Cancer), suppress the immune system, disrupt the endocrine system (regulation of hormones), and effect reproductive function.
Traditional farmers use a multitude of chemical fertilizers and synthetic herbicides, where as organic farmers use natural methods such as hand weeding, mulches, crop rotation and tillage. 60% of herbicides, 90% of fungicides and 30% of insecticides to be carcinogenic.
You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by 90% by avoiding the foods that make up the "Dirty Dozen". This does not mean that you have to avoid these foods all together---but when at all possible (especially for the foods listed in the Dirty Dozen)---Choose Organic!
The Dirty Dozen (1=worst): 1. Celery, 2. Peaches, 3. Strawberries, 4. Apples, 5. Blueberries, 6.Nectarines, 7. Bell Peppers, 8. Spinach, 9. Cherries, 10. Kale/Collard Greens, 11. Potatoes, 12. Grapes (Imported Grapes)
Clean 15 (1=Best): 1. Onions, 2. Avocado, 3. Sweet Corn, 4. Pineapple, 5. Mangos, 6. Sweet Peas, 7.Asparagus, 8. Kiwi, 9. Cabbage, 10. Eggplant, 11. Cantaloupe, 12. Watermelon, 13. Grapefruit, 14.Sweet Potato, 15. Honeydew
Every meal should contain at least half of the total food volume of vegetables! Eating a variety of vegetables on a daily basis has been shown to greatly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and many other chronic diseases.
Eat your vegetables--and whenever possible, choose Organic!
