The Most Pesticide-Heavy Produce Is…

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While fresh fruits and vegetables are a very important part of a healthy diet, some produce is heavily polluted with pesticides and other chemicals. Here are some of the most pesticide-laden foods, and how you can make healthier choices for both yourself and the environment.

Obviously eating fresh produce is good for you, right? Not always…. We are certainly not saying you should skip the fresh veggies and switch to processed foods! However, what you should be aware of is that some fruits and vegetables contain high levels of chemicals which are not so good for your health – or the health of the environment – in the long run.

Pesticide exposure is especially dangerous for children, but it has also been linked to many health conditions in adults as well, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer, among others.

Choose organic for these fruits and veggies, and you’ll be doing your family and the planet a favor.

Each year the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases its Dirty Dozen list identifying the most pesticide-laden produce on the market….
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To come up with the “Clean 15” and “Dirty Dozen” lists, EWG scientists focus on 48 popular fruits and vegetables and base their rankings on an analysis of 32,000 samples tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

To rank produce, EWG analysts use six metrics, including the total number of pesticides detected on a crop and the percent of samples tested with detectable pesticides….
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Dirty Dozen Plus
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Kale, collard greens, and hot peppers were frequently contaminated with insecticides that are particularly toxic to human health, prompting their “Dirty Dozen Plus” status.

1. Apples
2. Peaches
3. Nectarines
4. Strawberries
5. Grapes
6. Celery
7. Spinach
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Cucumbers
10. Cherry Tomatoes
11. Snap Peas (Imported)
12. Potatoes
+ Hot Peppers
+ Kale/Collard Greens

Clean 15

It’s not all bad news! These produce picks contained the lowest pesticide levels.

1. Avocados
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Cabbage
5. Sweet Peas (Frozen)
6. Onions
7. Asparagus
8. Mangoes
9. Papayas
10. Kiwi
11. Eggplant
12. Grapefruit
13. Cantaloupe
14. Cauliflower
15. Sweet Potatoes

Other Important Findings:

Every sample of imported nectarines and 99 percent of apple samples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue.

The average potato had more pesticides by weight than any other food.

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For more details, check out the full article at RodalesOrganicLife.com….

 

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