Pesticides and Food.
An Unhealthy Combo
Pesticides and food are not a combination that result in good health. If you want optimal health, you need to consume the least amount possible in the way of pesticides. No pesticides in food would be best, but probably not practical for most people. I read the other day that 888 million pounds of pesticides and herbicides were applied to our crops in the United States in 2004. That is a scary statistic when you consider that according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides and 30 percent of insecticides are known to be carcinogenic, or cancer causing. Other known problems are: - nerve damage
- birth defects
- childhood leukemia
- non-hodgkin's lymphoma
- and many more.
When trying to choose healthy food to eat, few would disagree that real, organic foods are the healthiest. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford or has access to organic foods. I feel it's helpful to know which foods, grown by the "conventional method" (pouring pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer on them), are normally sprayed the most and/or the least.
Foods with the most pesticides sprayed on them.
I have seen a number of studies on pesticides and food. Below are some of the most commonly mentioned foods.Fruit - Peaches
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Pears
- Grapes
Vegetables - Bell Peppers
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Green Beans
Foods with the least pesticides sprayed on them.
Fruit- Pineapples
- Mango
- Kiwi
- Bananas
- Papaya
- Blueberries
Vegetables - Onion
- Avocado
- Sweet Corn
- Asparagus
- Sweet Peas
- Broccoli and Cauliflower
For an in depth look at these lists you can go to
pesticides and food.
Not quite foods, but ....
You may or may not, drink much coffee. However, I'll bet you have many friends and relatives that drink plenty. Here is a fact that you and they may not know.Next to tobacco, coffee is sprayed with more chemicals, by far, than any other product consumed by human beings. Yikes, that doesn’t sound like health! You can order
Organic Coffee
over the internet. If you smoke - sorry I’m an avid non smoker and will let you do the research to see if there is a healthy cigarette (I believe that’s an oxymoron :).
Good Grief!
A quote from the EPA (our protectors?), "You and your family have a right to know under the law that in certain cases, such as economic loss to farmers, a pesticide not meeting the safety standard may be authorized."This means that in "certain cases" unsafe, unauthorized pesticides can legally be sprayed on your food! Super, gives me a case of the warm and fuzzies.
My Recommendation
As I tell my
coaching clients,
eat as healthy a diet as you have access to and can afford. If you want to eat food off the most sprayed list, try and find it organically grown.Be aware, think for yourself, and take control of your own health!
Return from Pesticides and Food to Nutrition Facts.
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