We all know that eating fruits and vegetables is good for our health. Indeed, they contain lots of vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber and water. Nowadays unfortunately, they also contain pesticides, that is, chemicals used to kill insects to prevent them from eating the fruit or vegetable before you do. And if we continue eating these pesticides on a daily basis, it can make us very sick, causing cancer and other diseases.
Now, some people think that washing their fruits and vegetables before eating can protect them from pesticides. This is only partially true, however, because some fruits and vegetables absorb pesticides in different ways. So even if you wash them, it doesn’t remove the dangerous chemicals inside.
Another solution is to eat organic fruits and vegetables, all of which are grown without the use of chemical pesticides. The problem here, though, is cost. Organic food is expensive! Most people cannot afford to eat organic food on a daily basis. So if you’re not rich, then how can you best protect yourself against pesticides?
The Dirty Dozen
Well, an organization made up of scientists and researchers, called the Environmental Working Group, has come up with a list of fruits and vegetables called The Dirty Dozen, which are ones that carry the most pesticides. Anytime you eat foods from this list, you need to make sure that they are organic, otherwise you will most certainly be eating pesticides.
- Apples
- Celery
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Peaches
- Strawberries
- Nectarines
- Grapes
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Cucumbers
- Blueberries
- Potatoes
The Clean 15
They’ve also come up with a list called The Clean 15, which are foods that do not absorb pesticides so easily. That is, you can eat them safely after a simple washing. It doesn’t matter so much if they are not organic.
- Onions
- Sweet Corn
- Pineapples
- Avocado
- Cabbage
- Sweet Peas
- Asparagus
- Mangoes
- Eggplant
- Kiwi
- Cantaloupe
- Sweet Potatoes
- Grapefruit
- Watermelon
- Mushrooms
Why is this information good to know? Well, it means that if you cannot afford to eat organic fruits and vegetables every day, then you can focus on only buying organic with foods on The Dirty Dozen list, and not buying organic versions of the foods on the Clean 15 list. In this way, you can save money and dramatically reduce the amount of pesticides that you eat. Remember that the next time you visit the produce section of the grocery store.
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