The Dirty Dozen: Produce To Buy Organic

This weeks Topic of the Week.

Last week’s topic of the week was on fifteen fruits and vegetable that don’t need to be organic. This week’s topic is on the most pesticide laden produce that ideally should be bought organic. I didn’t publish this list last year because I didn’t want people to not eat their fruit and vegetables. A pesticide laden apple is still better for you than a Snickers bar (or a bagel for that matter). This list was compiled by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

From their Executive Summary:

Eat your fruits and vegetables! The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure. Use EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides to reduce your exposures as much as possible, but eating conventionally-grown produce is far better than not eating fruits and vegetables at all. The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce will help you determine which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues and are the most important to buy organic. You can lower your pesticide intake substantially by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated produce.

The Dirty Dozen:

  1. Apples
  2. Celery
  3. Sweet Bell Peppers
  4. Peaches
  5. Strawberries
  6. Nectarines (Imported)
  7. Grapes
  8. Spinach
  9. Lettuce
  10. Cucumbers
  11. Blueberries (Domestic)
  12. Potatoes

They also add two more vegetables to consider, Leafy Greens (like Kale and Collards) and Green Beans, because they are commonly contaminated with Organophosphates.

The EWG also made a nice download of both the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen to put in your wallet here.

To read the full report click here.

Produce to buy organic.

 

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About Dr. Michael Polsinelli, DC

I really enjoy my work. It is a combination of listening, analyzing, and the skill of performing my craft. I love the expression on my patients faces when I puzzle out a long standing problem of theirs, or when their pain leaves after gently adjusting them. Read more about me

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