Ever stand in the produce aisles and wonder if you should be shelling out the extra cash for that organic produce?
Here is an interesting summary article from the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health. Check it out for more information on pesticides and what “organic” means.
Their conclusions:
Currently, there is very limited data on dietary pesticide exposure levels, and no data on the relative health risks and benefits of consuming organically- versus conventionally-grown food. Available data suggest that organic food contains fewer synthetic pesticide residues than conventional food, and eating an organic diet can result in lower exposures to some pesticides. However, given the current weight-of-evidence, it cannot be concluded based on its potential for reduction of exposure to pesticides that an organic diet provides greater health benefits than a conventional diet, although organically-grown food may provide other perceived benefits to consumers.
So basically, the evidence isn’t strong enough yet to tell everyone that they must eat organic.
So the jury is still out (like most things, no clear answers)! But some experts do suggest focusing on buying the organic options for the produce that ranks the highest in pesticides. Here is the “Dirty Dozen” list from the Environmental Working Group which ranks the produce that is most likely to be higher in pesticides.
- Peaches
- Apples
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Pears
- Grapes (Imported)
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Potatoes
Quick tip: don’t shell out cash for organic fruit or veg that has a thick skin that you don’t eat (think bananas, oranges, squashes, etc). The skin protects the fruit from the pesticides. Don’t ya just love nature?!
– M
GetRealGurls Nutrition 