The Dirty Dozen: the 12 fruits and veggies that you should definitely buy organic

Even small doses of pesticides, the kind found on the fruits and vegetables that we eat everyday, can be dangerous.  According to the Environmental Working Group, eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and veggies will expose a person to about 14 pesticides per day, on average.  On the other hand, eating the 12 least contaminated ones will expose a person to less than 2 pesticides per day.  This data was compiled using standard washing/peeling habits (that is, apples were washed and bananas were peeled).

Want to decrease your pesticide exposure?  Spend the extra money for organic:
•    Peaches
•    Apples
•    Sweet Bell Peppers
•    Celery
•    Nectarines
•    Strawberries
•    Cherries
•    Lettuce
•    Grapes (imported)
•    Pears
•    Spinach
•    Potatoes

Don’t waste your money buying organic for the following minimally contaminated produce:
•    Onions
•    Avocado
•    Sweet Corn (frozen)
•    Pineapples
•    Mango
•    Sweet Peas (frozen)
•    Asparagus
•    Kiwi
•    Bananas
•    Cabbage
•    Broccoli
•    Eggplant

Some people don’t think about pesticides much at all.  Others worry about them but feel overwhelmed by the vastness of the problem.  This list of “dirty dozen” foods gives you a simple way to decrease your pesticide exposure, no matter which group you’re in.

-Dr. C
www.insightmedicalconsultants.com
 

Topics: environmental medicine