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| Dr. Andrew Weil M.D. |
Dr. Andrew Weil
has an ongoing partnership with the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit
organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual
health. Together they are spreading the word on one of EWG’s most valuable pieces
of research - a Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce. The list is
based on the results of pesticide tests performed on produce and collected by
federal agencies over 9 years.
Nearly all of the
data used took into account how people typically wash and prepare produce - for
example, apples were washed and bananas peeled before testing.
The Clean 15 - Foods You Don't Have
to Buy Organic
Of the fruit and
vegetable categories tested, the following "Clean 15" foods had the
lowest pesticide load, and consequently are the safest conventionally grown
crops to consume from the standpoint of pesticide contamination:
•
Avocados
•
Sweet
corn
•
Pineapples
•
Cabbage
•
Sweet
peas (frozen)
•
Onions
•
Asparagus
•
Mangoes
•
Papayas
•
Kiwi
•
Eggplant
•
Grapefruit
•
Cantaloupe
(domestic)
•
Cauliflower
•
Sweet
potatoes
Why should you
care about pesticides? The EWG points out that there is a growing consensus in
the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can
have adverse effects on health, especially during vulnerable periods such as
fetal development and childhood.
Dr. Weil
maintains that pesticides are toxins and that they cannot be good for you. But
the big question is how bad are they? They can be toxic to the nervous system,
disrupt endocrine functions, and may increase risks of Cancer and other chronic
diseases. So we should all be trying to take action to minimize our exposure to
pesticides. According to Dr. Weil data supports that people who eat organic
foods, find that measurable pesticide levels in their (body) tissues drop.
Dirty Dozen Plus - Foods You Should
Always Buy Organic
At the opposite
end of the contamination spectrum we have the "Dirty Dozen Plus".
These foods had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to
buy organic - or to grow organically yourself:
•
Apples
•
Strawberries
•
Grapes
•
Celery
•
Peaches
•
Spinach
•
Sweet
bell peppers
•
Nectarines
(although Dr. Weil specifies imported)
•
Cucumbers
•
Cherry
tomatoes
•
Snap
peas (imported)
•
Potatoes
Plus these which may contain organophosphate
insecticides, which EWG characterizes as "highly toxic" and of
special concern:
•
Hot
peppers
•
Kale
and Collard Greens
•
Blueberries
(Dr. Weil adds domestic blueberries to round out his list)
So how realistic
is it that all people will or can afford to eat organic? There is a way to
start moving in the right direction without breaking the bank.
According to Dr.
Weil, if you simply shift to eating foods on the clean 15 list, (these are foods
you can buy conventional versions of), you will have a measureable drop in
tissue accumulations of pesticides.
Keep in mind that
maintaining your family's health is not the only reason to choose organic food.
Even though we can peel some foods such as mangoes, avocadoes and bananas, making
them safe for consumption, pesticide and herbicide use contaminates
groundwater, ruins soil structures and promotes erosion. They can also cause damage
to local ecosystems and may be a contributor to what is called "colony collapse disorder,"
the sudden and mysterious die-off of pollinating honeybees that threatens the
American food supply.
To help promote
the health of the planet as well as your own health, it's best to buy organic
whenever possible, including when you are purchasing all produce.
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