The Environmental Working Group (EUG), a U.S. non-profit organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual health, produces the Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides in Produce. It is based on the results of nearly 43,000 pesticide tests in the U.S. Of course you can expect these are somewhat different in the Mexican market, but basely true on the world wide scope.
Organic fruits and vegetables are by definition grown without the use of pesticides. Many families find the expense of organic foods prohibitive. The extra cost comes in with the labor intensive practices that organic farms require. This is in the process of change, in the mean time; below find a list of
twelve foods had the lowest pesticide load when conventionally grown, meaning commercially grown on corporate farms. Consequently, they are the safest (I use the term loosely) commercially grown crops to consume:
Many of these can be found grown locally; I have highlighted them for your reference
• Broccoli
• Eggplant
• Cabbage
• Banana
• Kiwi
• Asparagus
• Sweet peas (frozen)
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Sweet corn (frozen)
• Avocado
• Onion
I know how you love to hear about studies and tests..so listen up..
The biggest study ever into organic food – a four-year EU (European Union) funded project called the Quality Low Input Food (QLIF) project – found that organic food is FAR more nutritious than ordinary produce, and can help improve your health and longevity. You’re likely to hear more about this again, once they publish their findings in full, which is expected to occur by the end of this year.
For example, this study found that:
• Organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants
• Organic produce had higher levels of beneficial minerals like iron and zinc
• Milk from organic free range herds contained up to 90 percent more antioxidants
Food grown in healthier soil, with natural fertilizers and no chemicals, simply has to be more nutritious. It is common knowledge -- though knowledge that is greatly suppressed in the United States. (why is that?)
A 2011 study in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, for example, found that organic foods are better for fighting cancer. And in 2010, scientists did some controlled testing on those little rat critters .and they discovered the organically feed critters enjoyed ..
• Improved immune system status
• Better sleeping habits
• Less weight and were slimmer than rats fed other diets
• Higher vitamin E content in their blood (for organically fed rats)
Does this mean that you should ditch all of your industrially grown produce and meat, and only buy certified organic foods? Well, yes … and no.
What Should You Buy Organic?
Aside from the fact that organic food contains higher levels of vital nutrients, organic foods are also lower in other residues and compounds that are seriously detrimental to your health, such as herbicide- and pesticide residues.
Additionally, the use of pesticides and herbicides in conventional farming practices contaminates groundwater, ruins the soil structure and promotes erosion. They’ve also been linked to the mysterious “colony collapse disorder” that threatens pollinating honeybees around the world. With that in mind, buying or growing as much organic food as possible is not only best for your health, but for the health of the entire planet.
Blah blah blah…you know all this..
That being stated, certain fruits and vegetables are subjected to far heavier pesticide use than others. And with food prices rising, many are looking for ways to buy the healthiest foods possible at the lowest cost. One such way would be to focus on purchasing certain organic items, while “settling” for others that are conventionally-grown. Or another way would be not to settle for inferior quality foods and demand healthy, clean foods grown on healthy clean soil, in clean environments but…it seems we are a ways from that mindset…so...
This is where the EWG study of pesticide residue on produce really helps.
Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories tested, these 12 fruits and vegetables had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organic:
(The highlighted items can be found locally during their season in the Mexican supermarkets and at Organic Select.)
• Peaches ( local ones look like
apricots and smell sweet)
• Apples
• Sweet bell peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries (local ones are smaller and smell like strawberries)
• Cherries
• Lettuce (grown local and organic)
• Grapes (imported)
• Pears
• Spinach
• Potatoes
But be VERY careful as the list above is for fruits and vegetables. Non-organic meats have far higher concentrations of pesticides than all of the fruits and vegetables. (you know that corn feed imported beef)
The highest concentration of pesticides is actually in non-organic butter. You can substitute butter with avocados, nut butters, and natural yogurt. We buy the local sour crème in the Mexican market, called jocoque (hoe koe kay), toss it in the blender, whip it up, drain out the whey, add a bit of pink salt and chill it…makes a very good butter
Locally-grown organics are your absolute best bet, but bear in mind that many times buying locally-grown food is your still best choice even if it’s grown conventionally, as the environmental impact of shipping organic produce across the globe can cancel out many its benefits. Organic farming standards are also questionable in many parts of the world. Don’t be fooled by all the organic certification stamps...know your farmers and where you food comes from.
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