Why Eat Organic Foods?

Unfortunately, eating fruits and vegetables on a daily basis may not guarantee good health.  Even if you prepare seemingly nutritious food for your family, you could be serving up sides of organophosphate and chlorinated pesticides to go with that broccoli.  In the United States, conventional food is grown using over 4 billion pounds of pesticides annually.

Pesticides are toxic by design, used to kill insects, plants and fungi.  Humans are also vulnerable to the toxic effects of pesticides.  When you eat conventionally grown produce, you are also consuming pesticide residues.  Pesticides have been linked to a variety of chronic health diseases including brain and nervous system toxicity, cancer, hormone disruption in diabetes, thyroid dysfunction and obesity, as well as eye, skin and lung irritation.

Certified by the USDA, organically grown food is produced without the use of synthetic pesticides, genetic engineering, radiation or sewer sludge.  The USDA and FDA measure pesticide residues on produce and list them according to their toxic load–from most toxic to least toxic.  The highest pesticide residues are found on the fruits and vegetables listed below, also known as “The Dirty Dozen”.

The Dirty Dozen:

Apples

Strawberries

Spinach

Bell peppers

Potatoes

Lettuce

Celery

Peaches

Nectarines (imported)

Grapes (imported)

Blueberries (domestic)

Kale/Collards

Organic food typically costs more than their conventionally grown counterparts.  If you can’t afford to buy organic produce, try to avoid the “dirty dozen” (unless organically grown) and you will dramatically reduce your exposure to the harmful effects of pesticides.  If your access to organic food is limited, ask your local grocer to stock organic versions of the “dirty dozen”.

Conventionally grown produce with the lowest pesticide residues is listed below, know as the “clean 15”.

The Clean “15”

Onions

Pineapple

Asparagus

Mangoes

Kiwi

Cabbage

Corn

Avocado

Sweet peas

Sweet potatoes

Mushrooms

Eggplant

Cantaloupe (domestic)

Watermelon

Grapefruit

Wallet size printable versions and smart phones apps that list the “dirty dozen” and “clean 15” are available at: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/guide/.