Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) prepares a list of the fruits and vegetables it that have the most excess of pesticides.
In order to create the “dirty dozen” list, the EWG evaluates government statistics about pesticides. Precisely, it is now using USDA data (2014), the most recent year that is available. For example, they tested 176 strawberries groups, 85 percent of which were grown in America. When compared with statistics from some previous years, experts found that strawberries beat apples for the most insecticide residue for the very first time.
However, this annual list was also criticized, mostly for potentially scaring people away from eating fruits and vegetables, mainly because the USDA’s statement reminds people that pesticides “don’t pose risks to consumers’ health.”
Many experts claim that this list should not dissuade you from consuming the following fruits and vegetables. But, they should act as a guide to aid you to decide which fare to purchase as organic that is usually pricier.
As healthcare professionals, and health bloggers as well, Your Health Tubers decided to share this list of food with the most and least pesticides just to notify you to be more careful when buying certain fruits and vegetables, and motivate you to grow your own (if you can, of course) and consume just organic fruits and vegetables.
2016 Dirty Dozen list include:
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2016 Clean Fifteen include:
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Note: A small amount of summer squash, papaya and sweet corn sold in America is produced from GE seed stock. Purchase organic varieties of these produces if you want to avoid GE produce.
Conclusion:
Consuming fresh fruits and vegetables is the best way to obtain the nutrients that support optimal health, but the pesticides used on many foodstuffs remain a great health concern. By eating organic foods, you could reap the health benefits of vegetables and fruits without exposing yourself and your family to possibly harmful chemicals. Insect repellents present a real health risk, particularly to children and those with a sensitive health condition. The harmfulness most commonly related to pesticides in animal studies include disturbances in the function of the endocrine and nervous system and increased risk of some type of cancer. Therefore, we advise you to consume only organic fruits and vegetables.