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Always purchase certified organic produce when you can – along with being produced without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, studies have shown that organic produce may contain more nutrients. If you must buy conventionally grown produce, at least stay away from what the Environmental Working Group (EWG) calls the “dirty dozen.” According the EWG report, people can lower their pesticide exposure by 90 percent by avoiding the top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead. The “dirty dozen” are: apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and strawberries. All tested positive for pesticide residue – even after having been washed! Sweet bell peppers were the vegetable with the most pesticides overall, with 39 pesticides detected on a single sample. Conversely, if you're going to buy conventional, peas, broccoli, onions, pineapples, mangoes, bananas, kiwi and papaya had the lowest occurrence of pesticide residue.
Guru Spotlight |
Barbara Gibson |