People ask me all the time – which foods are most important to buy organic? I’ve seen many lists of top 10s, and they tend to vary, so generally my advice is to buy organic whenever possible (why eat dangerous herbicides and pesticides when you don’t have to?), especially when you’re eating the skin of the fruit or vegetable. For anyone who isn’t familiar with the dangers of these chemicals – many of the most commonly used chemicals on fruits and vegetables act as carcinogens (cause cancer), endocrine disruptors (meaning they mimic the effects of hormones in the body), and/or nervous system disruptors (they screw up the system that maintains your nerves and nerve impulses). That’s scary stuff – and we don’t really know the long-term effects of small exposure over time. Most of us have traces of these chemicals detectable in our bodies.
That said, it is helpful to know the worst offenders, and whether there is anything conventionally grown that isn’t a large risk. The Environmental Working Group, a public and environmental health non-profit, conducted extensive research on 47 differents fruits and vegetables to create their Dirty Dozen list of 12 common fruits and vegetables that are most highly contaminated with pesticide and herbicide residue. They ranked the list based on consistency of residue found (percent of product tested), quantity of residue found, and number of different chemicals found. They scored all fruits and veggies based on a 100-1 scale, worst to best, so that you the consumer can understand what your risk of exposure is with any of the tested products. The worst offenders are peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, and nectarines, followed closely by strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, and imported grapes. The good news? Turns out we can relax a little on onions and avocados, where 90 percent of the products tested had no residue detected. Keep in mind that chemical residue varies tremendously product to product, producer to producer- the above research indicates averages.
If this stuff freaks you out, here are a few tips to help control your exposure to dangerous chemicals, on top of buying organic:
1) It’s always a good idea to give your produce a good wash (diluted vinegar works just as well as those veggie washes!) before eating – conventional or organic. You can wash a lot of the exterior residue off. Don’t forget to wash your organics too. In tests they certainly have less residue than conventional, but they can still contain some simply due to proximity to conventional produce, nearby farm run-off, etc.
2) Check out your small local farms. In NEO we have such a vibrant farming community. Smaller farms tend to be more conscientious about using chemicals, and it’s great to be able to ask the farmer directly about their practices. Check out my resources tab for some local farmers market info.
3) And whatever you do, don’t let fear of chemicals prevent you from eating these delicious and nutritious foods. Do what you can to reduce exposure, but it’s better to eat conventional fruits and vegetables than to not eat any.
For more info, check out the Environmental Working Group’s website, they have lots of great info. Happy eating!