Make Wise Choices in the Produce Aisle

It seems that we received ever conflicting dietary information. Most experts recommend eating more fruits and vegetables. While we do want to increase the intake of healthy nutrients, we also want to cut down on the number of chemicals and pesticides, that may prove toxic. This study by the Environmental Working Group will help you to make wise choices in the produce aisle.

Fruits and vegetables are good for your health. Study after study indicates that we should be eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Guidelines recommend about 1-1/2 cups to 2 cups of fruits and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day, depending upon physical needs.

Along with the healthy nutrients in fresh produce, you may be eating some unhealthy pesticides. A growing contingent in the scientific community expresses concern about the adverse effect that pesticides have on health. The toxic effects of chemicals are not completely understood. "Shoppers would be wise to minimize exposure to pesticides whenever possible", according to Food News.

The Environmental Working Group has released a study that compares fruits and vegetable, ranking them by potential chemical exposure. They are not recommending avoiding fruits and vegetables. A substantial difference can be made in pesticide exposure by consuming foods with the lower risk of contamination. Using the guide, available on the EWG website can help you be make wise decisions in the produce aisle.

The study takes typical washing methods into account. So fruits are washed, and banana are peeled before testing for pesticides. Therefore, the rankings in this study already consider typical cleansing of the produce.

Fruits on the list were consistently more contaminated by pesticides. Peaches had the most pesticides overall. Peaches had some combination of up to 42 pesticides found on the samples tested. Apples had 37 pesticides on the samples. Strawberries had 35 pesticides on the samples. Nectarines had the highest percentage of samples test positive for pesticides, with 97.3 percent having pesticides.

The vegetables most likely to expose consumers to pesticides are: celery, sweet bell peppers, lettuce and potatoes.

The most consistently clean vegetables, and therefore the most desirable to eat are: broccoli, sweet pea, and cabbage.The cleanest fruits were: pineapple, mango, avocado, banana, kiwi and papaya.

Following are the findings of the study by The Environmental Working Group (EWG). The study ranks produce from most contaminated to least. The score indicates the pesticide load. Therefore, peaches top the list with a ranking of 1 (worst) and a score of 100 (pesticide load).

1 Peaches (100)
2. Apples (89)
3. Sweet Bell Peppers (86)
4. Celery (85)
5. Nectarines (84)
6. Strawberries (82)
7. Cherries (75)
8. Pears (65)
9. Grapes - imported (65)
10. Spinach (60)
11. Lettuce (59)
12. Potatoes (58)
13. Carrots (57)
14. Green Beans (53)
15. Hot Peppers (53)
16. Cucumbers (52)
17. Raspberries (47)
18. Plums (45)
19. Grapes - Domestic (43)
20. Oranges (42)
21. Grapefruit (40)
22. Tangerine (38)
23. Mushrooms (37)
24. Cantaloupe (34)
25. Honeydew Melon (31)
26. Tomatoes (30)
27. Sweet Potatoes (30)
28. Watermelon (28)
29. Winter Squash (27)
30. Cauliflower (27)
31. Blueberries (24)
32. Papaya (21)
33. Broccoli (18)
34. Cabbage (17)
35. Bananas (16)
36. Kiwi (14)
37. Sweet Peas - frozen (11)
38. Asparagus (11)
39. Mango (9)
40. Pineapples (7)
41. Sweet Corn - frozen (2)
42. Avocado (1)
43. Onions (1)

Consumers should use this guide to make their produce selections. By purchasing the foods with lower contamination and avoiding the foods with higher combination, you can reduce your risk dramatically. Any produce should be well washed. You can also peel the produce,. but keep in mind that with the peel, goes a lot of healthy nutrients.

The risks of pesticide exposure are uncertain, but they do seem to be have toxic effects on humans. It is difficult to link a particular risk to a particular chemical, because we are exposed to minute levels of so many different chemicals. Manufacturers often claim safety, because no harm has been conclusively proved. These unsolved scientific issues can lull people into a sense of safety about the chemicals we consume. While the studies continue, it seems wise to consume the produce with the least toxicity.

This information is based on recent studies and is not to be construed as medical advice.