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HOW TO AVOID FRUITS & VEGETABLES WITH PESTICIDES
Everyone enjoys indulging in their favorite seasonal fruits and veggies,
but dangerous toxins may be lurking in these “healthy” treats.
Animal and human studies on individual pesticides have shown that they
contribute to an alarming number of health problems like:
- Cancer
- Fertility problems
- Brain tumors
- Childhood leukemia
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Birth defects
- Irritation to skin and eyes
- Hormone or endocrine system problems
- Nervous system damage
While some argue that the amount of pesticides on produce is minimal,
an increasing number of experts believe that exposure to even small amounts
of pesticides over a long period of time can have a negative impact on
your health.
Fortunately, by avoiding the most-contaminated produce out there, you
can reduce your exposure to pesticides by almost 90 percent.
How to Keep Your Food Pesticide Exposure to a Minimum
Contrary to popular belief, simply washing with water and peeling fruit
and vegetables is not enough to protect yourself and your family from
pesticides. It will reduce the levels somewhat, but it will not eliminate
them.
Meanwhile, you really don't want to peel fruits and veggies like apples
and potatoes because the skins contain a lot of the nutrients and antioxidants.
Health food stores carry veggie washes that can help eliminate these
toxins better than just water.
However, here is a list of the 20 most and least contaminated fruits
and vegetables to assist with your selection process:
Most Contaminated
- Peaches
- Apples
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Pears
- Grapes (Imported)
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Green Beans
- Hot Peppers
- Cucumbers
- Raspberries
- Plums
- Grapes (Domestic)
- Oranges
Least Contaminated
- Onion
- Avocado
- Sweet corn (Frozen)
- Pineapples
- Mango
- Asparagus
- Sweet peas (Frozen)
- Kiwi
- Bananas
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Papaya
- Blueberries
- Cauliflower
- Winter Squash
- Watermelon
- Sweet potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Honeydew melon
- Cantaloupe
