If you’re not eating organic food, you may be ingesting a surprisingly large amount of toxins. Pesticide residues, antibiotics, and genetically modified (GMO) foods are among the questionable elements that are in our food supply. Protect yourself by knowing which foods are the most problematic and may be the riskiest.
Health Debate
As the debate over what constitutes good health continues, the cost of healthy food keeps increasing. While many people believe they are eating a healthy diet full of nutrients from fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, they are actually eating GMO foods that are covered in pesticides.
Washing food before preparation removes chemicals from the outside of it. However, many of these substances wash off in rain while fruits and vegetables are still growing, get absorbed into the soil and are made a systemic part of the foods themselves, so that no amount of washing can remove them. Meanwhile, many people find the cost of organic food puts it financially out of reach.
Missing The Point
A report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) assesses the health hazard of the chemicals used to grow non-organic food. This “Dirty Dozen” report names the 12 fruits and vegetables in the United States that rank the highest in pesticide residue. The deadly chemicals farmers use to kill bugs and insects on crops are allowed by the FDA to be eaten by consumers. These pesticides are neurotoxins or toxins that are damaging to the nervous system.
The Worst
The 12 worst foods for you to consume, when they are not certified “organic,” are:
- Apples
- Celery
- Sweet bell peppers
- Peaches
- Strawberries
- Imported nectarines
- Grapes
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Cucumbers
- Domestic blueberries
- Potatoes
List Additions
The EWG added a few extra foods to the list of their dozen most harmful because they are coming close to dangerous levels of toxins. These are:
- Green beans
- Kale
- Collard greens
Buying locally grown produce from the grocery store and even the local farmers markets isn’t enough to make sure your food is healthy. Unless they are specifically labeled as “organic,” these foods could be harming our bodies. It has nothing to do with nutritional levels, but rather the toxic chemicals used to grow the fruits and vegetables that damage our nervous systems and lead to disease.
Retail Solace
Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods have better selections of healthier foods, but even their store brands may contain harmful substances.
However, there is some light at the end of this tunnel. The EWG also released a list of non-organic foods it found to be healthier. Its “Clean 15” is a list of fruits and vegetables that show the least amount of pesticide residue. These are:
- Onions
- Sweet corn
- Pineapples
- Avocado
- Cabbage
- Sweet peas
- Asparagus
- Mangoes
- Eggplant
- Kiwi
- Domestic cantaloupe
- Sweet potatoes
- Grapefruit
- Watermelon
- Mushrooms
The EWG report is based on pesticide residue data collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, which tested samples as they normally would be eaten—after being washed or peeled.
Harmful Chemicals
According to Chensheng Lu from the Harvard School of Public Health: “Toxins appear to be connected to a prevalence of diseases, including cancer. And some studies suggest pesticide intake, especially in the prenatal stage, can cause neurological developmental problems in infants.”
In the end, we are talking health, not finances. If you have the resources, consuming only organic fruits and vegetables, dining on grass-fed beef that is hormone and antibiotic-free, and using oils for cooking that are non-hydrogenated and contain no trans fats is beneficial. If money is an issue and you want to be as healthy as possible, especially when it comes to diet, then purchase the Dirty Dozen foods only in their certified form and purchase the Clean 15 from your local market. This mix should provide you enough protection from poison while saving your wallet in the current economy.
