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Thursday, 16 April 2009 13:52 |
This summer, stay away from conventionally-grown peaches, apples and even strawberries. According to a study of 47 fruits and vegetables conducted by the EWG, those fruits contain the highest levels of pesticides.
Spending a few more bucks on their organic versions will definitely be worth it (for your health and the quality of the soil). Indeed, conventionally grown fruits and veggies, i.e. sprayed with pesticides, have been acknowledged by the U.S. and international government agencies as being linked to:
- Nervous system effects
- Carcinogenic effects
- Hormone system effects
- Skin, eye and lung irritation
And if you don’t think that organic fruits and veggies taste differently, here is an interesting fact. “In 2002, when chimps at the Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark were given a choice between organic and non-organic bananas, they chose the organic bananas and ate them with the skin on. When they got around to eating the non-organic ones, they peeled them first.†[1] That should tell us something about the smell and the taste of pesticide-sprayed fruits and veggies (and what our less developed human noses and taste buds can detect).
If money is tight, go non-organic with fruits and veggies that rank very low on the EWG list, such as onions, avocados and (frozen) sweet corn. To see the whole list and even print a wallet-size guide, as well as learn more on pesticides, go to www.foodnews.org . Â
[1] 7 Foods to Reduce Your Chemical Intake Â
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