The Environmental Working Group is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the environment and human health. Each year, the group gives us a “dirty dozen” list of fruits and vegetables. It also releases a “Clean 15” produce list.

First, I want to put a disclosure front and center. Several prominent organic marketers fund the Environmental Working Group.

The “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables

The Environmental Working Group’s annual Dirty Dozen report exclaims strawberries, spinach, and nectarines have the most pesticide residues. Here is the complete 2022 rundown:

1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Kale, collard, and mustard greens
4. Nectarines
5. Apples
6. Grapes
7. Bell and hot peppers
8. Cherries
9. Peaches
10. Pears
11. Celery
12. Tomatoes

The EWG notes that a small amount of papaya, summer squash, and sweet corn sold in the United States is made from genetically modified seeds. Consider buying organic varieties of these crops if you want to dodge genetically modified produce.

The “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables — testing

The US Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do the testing. They found 245 different pesticides and pesticide breakdown products on over 70 percent of non-organic produce.

Before performing a test, the USDA washes, scrubs, and peels them as a typical consumer would. It seems clear from the report that simple washing is not enough to remove all pesticides.

The “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables — Criticism

An industry group for growers of produce (both organic and non-organic) and some dieticians offer objections to the report, noting that the annual report raises an unnecessary alarm and may discourage folks from eating enough fruits and vegetables.

Listen to Teresa Thorne, Executive Director of the Alliance for Food and Farming:

“Ignore or discount the list.” Like others, she fears that if an organic fruit or vegetable costs more, as they often do, consumers will bypass produce altogether, especially low-income consumers. “Pick what’s best for you and your family,” she says.

Counters toxicologist Dr. Alexis Temkin of the Environmental Working Group: “All the residues found were within legal limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency. She adds that “although the levels are legal, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are safe.

On the other hand, the report provides information to help consumers make informed decisions about the produce they choose to purchase.

Before you turn away from buying that produce, remember that both organic and conventionally grown fruits and vegetables have pesticides of different sorts. There is a Pesticide Residue Calculator from toxicologists at the University of California, Riverside, that provides some comfort.

You can use the calculator to see that trace amounts of chemicals in conventionally grown produce don’t appear to be hazardous. One may consume 850 apples per day without suffering harm from pesticides. I am a bit sceptical about such claims, but the calculator provides another perspective.

I am a work in progress, trying to have about half of my plate filled with fruits and vegetables. That is the best move I’ve made in my diet in a long time. You too should think about getting those fruits and vegetables!

What is your approach?

The post The Best Diet Move I’ve Made appeared first on Medika Life.

The Environmental Working Group is a non-profit organization that aims to improve our environment-related health. The group recently analyzed 39,000 US Department of Agriculture tests of 47 fruits and vegetables.

The bad news? Nearly 70 percent of conventional produce contains pesticide residues. Particularly striking that virtually all apples, cherries, nectarines, and peaches contained at least one pesticide.

Rather than focus on the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables, today, we turn to the so-called Clean 15 produce list. First, a disclosure: The Environmental Working Group receives funding from several prominent organic marketers.

Fruits and vegetables — the clean 15

Nearly 70 percent of the Clean Fifteen fruit and vegetable samples contained no pesticide residues. Can you guess the cleanest? If you offered avocados and sweet corn, you are spot on; fewer than two percent of the samples had pesticides.

I recently wrote about some of the upsides of avocado consumption:

Are Avocados A Weapon to Dodge a Heart Attack?AVOCADOS APPEAR TO BE ONE MORE TOOL to reduce your heart attack risk. A new study suggests that this fruit — known for…medium.com Could Phytochemicals in Avocados Protect Against Cancer?I love indescribable things, like the taste of an avocado or the smell of a gardenia. — Barbra Streisand.medium.com

Let’s turn to the whole list of so-called clean fruits and vegetables.

1. Avocados

2. Sweet corn

3. Pineapple

4. Onions

5. Papaya

6. Sweet peas (frozen)

7. Asparagus

8. Honeydew melon

9. Kiwi

10. Cabbage

11. Mushrooms

12. Cantaloupe

13. Mangoes

14. Watermelon

15. Sweet potatoes

Fruits and vegetables — Study methods

The Environmental Working Group analyzed over 44,000 samples taken by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Drug Administration.

Before testing the produce for pesticides, the researchers prepared each fruit or vegetable like regular folks might do, including rinsing produce with edible peels and peeling those with inedible peels.

Whether the fruit or vegetable is on the clean or dirty list, I always wash produce before peeling, cutting, or eating it. Why? I am not as concerned about the pesticides as getting enough produce into my diet. My eagerness to wash is that produce can be covered in bacteria, leading to food poisoning.

Did you know that produce causes nearly half of all foodborne illnesses? By contrast, meat and poultry are responsible for 22 percent of cases in the United States.Fruits and vegetables poison more Americans than beef and chickenEvery year, millions of Americans get sick from what they eat and drink. But it’s not always the foods you’d…www.vox.com

What is your approach?

The post Don’t Be Fooled — Not all Fruits and Vegetables are “Dirty.” appeared first on Medika Life.