The growing consensus among scientists is that certain doses of pesticides and other chemicals can possibly cause lasting damage to human health, especially during fetal development and early childhood. Some scientists are warning of the long-term consequences of ingesting these powerful chemicals and advise that we minimize our consumption of pesticides.
According to the Environmental Working Group, consumers can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80 percent by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating only the cleanest. If consumers get their USDA-recommended five daily servings of fruits and veggies from those that are most contaminated, they could possibly consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Those who eat the 15 least contaminated conventionally grown produce will likely ingest fewer than two pesticides daily.
EWG has been publishing guides to the "dirty dozen" of the most pesticide contaminated foods since 1995, based on statistical analysis of testing conducted by the USDA and the FDA. The dirty dozen list only reflects measurable pesticide residues on the parts of the foods normally consumed (i.e. after being washed and peeled). Below is the latest EWG guide to the "dirty dozen," along with recommendations for foods other than fruits and vegetables that are best bought organic, along with information about antibiotics, hormones and the impact of producing food on the surrounding environment.
When shopping for these fruits, vegetables and other foods, keep this list handy in order to avoid those with the highest pesticide residue.
Follow Joanna Dolgoff, M.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/joannadolgoffmd
Ken Cook: Best Friends Forever? Produce Growers and Pesticide Makers Deepen Their Bond
Organic foods: Are they safer? More nutritious? - MayoClinic.com
USDA Slow to Release Pesticide Residue Data
Produce industry presses USDA on pesticide report
Pesticides and Food: What You and Your Family Need to Know ...
|
Post a Comment
For those bemoaning the cost of organic food, the key question is, "What's the value of your values?" Where there's a will, there's a way. You find time, money, and energy for the things you truly value. I think many people just think they DESERVE a certain quantity of things, so they buy lower quality. Appearances over substance. "I'm an environmentalist, as long as it's free... and convenient.. and socially admired... and doesn't require a behavioral change... and doesn't keep me from affording other luxuries... and..." Ugh. Enough excuses; own your choices.
For what it's worth, when I've had lean times myself, I tried to buy organic or "green" things where it made more of a difference and I ate a lot less beef, pork, chicken, eggs, milk, cheese, etc. The higher the food chain you go, the more financially and environmentally expensive it is.
Again, I wish you the best with the online sales.
It sucks you got to be pretty much rich to eat healthy, with rent and bills, medical bills, organic is just not an option. So we just have to be stuck with pesticides and chemicals.
All our food should be safe and nutritious. People shouldn't have to spend $5.00 or more a pound to eat a red pepper or more than $20.00 a pound to have a piece of meat or $17.00 for an organic chicken or $6.00 for a dozen organic eggs or $5.00 for a half gallon of milk.
In my area farmers markets are as expensive as the stores and food co-ops that sell organic food.
What this article basically says is only those with a comfortable income can eat healthy, nutritious foods.
How about instead telling our government to MAKE OUR FOOD SUPPLY HEALTHY, the way other countries have.
Why is it things that are banned in most other countries are just fine to sell in the US?
Could it have something to do with Obama handing the USDA over to Monsanto!
I agree that we should have a safer food supply, but reductions in the use of some chemicals (such as pesticides) will result in reduced yields. Lower supplies will lead to higher prices. You can't have your cake and eat it too. By the way, there are many people on the planet who don't feel they DESERVE to eat beef, poultry, eggs, and milk every day. Those are luxuries for most people on the planet.
Quality and values usually cost more.
http://www.lovingfit.com
I found some glass baby bottles and we used those until he was weaned. Everything is in plastic and has been for decades so we have been poisoning ourselves for the sake of modern technology. We are our own worst enemy in thinking that making our lives more convenient to free our time to do more is killing us.
For almost two years, molecular biologist Bénédicte Trouiller doused the drinking water of scores of lab mice with nano-titanium dioxide, the most common nanomaterial used in consumer products today.
Type into your browser: Nano Technology Health Fears
Consuming the nano-titanium dioxide was damaging or destroying the animals' DNA and chromosomes. The biological havoc continued as she repeated the studies again and again. It was a significant finding: The degrees of DNA damage and genetic instability that the 32-year-old investigator documented can be "linked to all the big killers of man, namely cancer, heart disease, neurological disease and aging," says Professor Robert Schiestl, a genetic toxicologist who ran the lab at UCLA's School of Public Health where Trouiller did her research.
Organic food is fashion, but has nothing to do scientific truth.
http://www.lifestyle-after50.com/nutrition.html
It's true that you can get sick from eating organic manure. So don't eat manure and wash your organic fruits and veggies well. Unless you want to eat conventional pesticide-laden produce, that by all means is your right.
I posit it is the use of pesticides that is the "fad" since they are a new-comers in the history of agriculture, which was doing just fine without them.