Beowulf
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This is an interesting piece that may help you figure out the best veggies and fruits to eat, with the least chance of contamination by pesticides. Broccoli is clean :woohoo:
The most important part:
Which are the "dirty dozen"?
Apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and (argh!) strawberries. Ninety percent of strawberries tested contained pesticide residues.
Now for the good news.
The "cleanest" fruits and vegetables are asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions and papaya.
http://www.ewg.org/news/story.php?id=2590
EWG in the News
From EWG's
Buy organic to limit exposure to pesticides
By: Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Charlotte Observer
May 12, 2004
Now through early fall is the best -- and easiest -- time to maintain a health-supporting, waist-trimming diet.
It's a time to pick your own strawberries, grow backyard tomatoes and buy fresh corn on the cob and cantaloupe at roadside stands and farmers markets or at the supermarket.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are critical components of a diet that prevents disease and promotes health. Most of us should radically increase the amount of them we eat.
That said, there's an added bit of information you should take into account: pesticide residues.
It's not an insurmountable problem, and the presence of pesticides in produce doesn't necessarily mean you have to hold back on double and triple servings of favorite fruits or vegetables. It does merit attention, however.
Little research is available to document the health risk of eating foods that carry low amounts of pesticides; however, in the absence of this knowledge, you may want to err on the side of caution and minimize your exposure to these chemicals. That's especially so if you are pregnant or have young children.
What you should know:
Some fruits and vegetables are more likely than others to contain pesticide residues, and some foods contain higher concentrations. Washing produce in running water and peeling foods that contain higher amounts of pesticide residues makes sense and does help. But only to a point.
A study conducted by the Environmental Working Group, a consumer advocacy organization, determined that you can decrease your intake of pesticide residues by 90 percent if you avoid the dozen most-contaminated fruits and vegetables and eat those lowest in residues instead.
Which are the "dirty dozen"?
Apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and (argh!) strawberries. Ninety percent of strawberries tested contained pesticide residues.
Now for the good news.
The "cleanest" fruits and vegetables are asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions and papaya.v
There were no detectable residues on 90 percent or more of the vegetable samples deemed least contaminated, according to the EWG. Of the cleanest fruits, pesticide residues could be detected on fewer than 10 percent of mangoes and pineapples.
Washing and peeling fruits and vegetables wouldn't change the rankings, the EWG said. The data came from the USDA's Pesticide Data Program, which measures pesticide content after preparation, such as peeling bananas and washing and coring apples.
Download EWG's free, wallet-sized shopper's guide to the pesticide content of produce at www.foodnews.org.
Need a strategy so you can keep on eating apples and cherries? The simplest approach, of course, is to buy only organic produce. That way, you don't have to consult a guide or remember which fruits and vegetables to eat with impunity or avoid. In my case, my family subscribes to a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm, and today we are expecting our first home delivery of this season's locally grown organic produce. For information, go to www.carolinafarmstewards.org.
It might make more sense for you to selectively buy organic. Since apples, potatoes and bell peppers are common staples but are also on the "dirty dozen" list, you could choose to buy organic varieties at your local natural foods store. Be sure they're marked "organic," since even natural foods stores sell some conventionally grown foods. Then save money and buy foods on the "clean" list -- bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, onions and sweet corn -- from your regular supermarket.
Do what makes sense for you. Bottom line: Don't let concerns about pesticides keep you from increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet, but shop strategically to lower your exposure.:woohoo: :woohoo:
The most important part:
Which are the "dirty dozen"?
Apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and (argh!) strawberries. Ninety percent of strawberries tested contained pesticide residues.
Now for the good news.
The "cleanest" fruits and vegetables are asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions and papaya.
http://www.ewg.org/news/story.php?id=2590
EWG in the News
From EWG's
Buy organic to limit exposure to pesticides
By: Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Charlotte Observer
May 12, 2004
Now through early fall is the best -- and easiest -- time to maintain a health-supporting, waist-trimming diet.
It's a time to pick your own strawberries, grow backyard tomatoes and buy fresh corn on the cob and cantaloupe at roadside stands and farmers markets or at the supermarket.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are critical components of a diet that prevents disease and promotes health. Most of us should radically increase the amount of them we eat.
That said, there's an added bit of information you should take into account: pesticide residues.
It's not an insurmountable problem, and the presence of pesticides in produce doesn't necessarily mean you have to hold back on double and triple servings of favorite fruits or vegetables. It does merit attention, however.
Little research is available to document the health risk of eating foods that carry low amounts of pesticides; however, in the absence of this knowledge, you may want to err on the side of caution and minimize your exposure to these chemicals. That's especially so if you are pregnant or have young children.
What you should know:
Some fruits and vegetables are more likely than others to contain pesticide residues, and some foods contain higher concentrations. Washing produce in running water and peeling foods that contain higher amounts of pesticide residues makes sense and does help. But only to a point.
A study conducted by the Environmental Working Group, a consumer advocacy organization, determined that you can decrease your intake of pesticide residues by 90 percent if you avoid the dozen most-contaminated fruits and vegetables and eat those lowest in residues instead.
Which are the "dirty dozen"?
Apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and (argh!) strawberries. Ninety percent of strawberries tested contained pesticide residues.
Now for the good news.
The "cleanest" fruits and vegetables are asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions and papaya.v
There were no detectable residues on 90 percent or more of the vegetable samples deemed least contaminated, according to the EWG. Of the cleanest fruits, pesticide residues could be detected on fewer than 10 percent of mangoes and pineapples.
Washing and peeling fruits and vegetables wouldn't change the rankings, the EWG said. The data came from the USDA's Pesticide Data Program, which measures pesticide content after preparation, such as peeling bananas and washing and coring apples.
Download EWG's free, wallet-sized shopper's guide to the pesticide content of produce at www.foodnews.org.
Need a strategy so you can keep on eating apples and cherries? The simplest approach, of course, is to buy only organic produce. That way, you don't have to consult a guide or remember which fruits and vegetables to eat with impunity or avoid. In my case, my family subscribes to a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm, and today we are expecting our first home delivery of this season's locally grown organic produce. For information, go to www.carolinafarmstewards.org.
It might make more sense for you to selectively buy organic. Since apples, potatoes and bell peppers are common staples but are also on the "dirty dozen" list, you could choose to buy organic varieties at your local natural foods store. Be sure they're marked "organic," since even natural foods stores sell some conventionally grown foods. Then save money and buy foods on the "clean" list -- bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, onions and sweet corn -- from your regular supermarket.
Do what makes sense for you. Bottom line: Don't let concerns about pesticides keep you from increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet, but shop strategically to lower your exposure.:woohoo: :woohoo:
