Alternative Cancer » Prevention

Low Pesticides Foods You Don’t Have to Buy Organic

Happy — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:20:58 +0000

In our previous list of foods you should buy organic we focused on foods that show excessive residue of pesticides in edible parts. To keep things balanced, here is the list of foods you don’t have to buy organic, because they either do not require pesticide treatment – thanks to their natural pest resistance – or because these foods have protective layer (a peel) which prevents absorption of pesticides by the edible parts.

This being said – it is recommended to eat organic food whenever possible. Aside from being good for your health, organic foods is also good for the Earth. It is essential to point out that “organic” doesn’t necessarily mean “100% pesticides free”. Produce of every kind is subject to fungal and/or mold deterioration but most of all – unless you have grown the produce organically yourself – all you have to work with when buying organic from the grocery store is someone’s pledge that the products you are purchasing truly are organic. Unfortunately, seals of approval as well as all other forms of certification can be purchased because people are easily corrupted by money.

Despite of all potential downfalls, conventional foods are more or less guaranteed to have gone through pesticide treatment whereas with organic foods you stand much better chance of eating healthy. Still, thanks to natural abilities of some foods to resist pests or to protect parts that we eat from outside agents, the foods from the list below would be generally safe even in non organic versions. Without further ado, this is the list of low pesticides foods you do not have to buy organic:

Onions

Onions are a perfect example of a food you don’t have to buy organic. Because few pests choose onions as their hosts, only few and only mild acting agents are used during pesticide spraying.

Onion - Low Pesticides Food You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Photo: Jon Sullivan, Wikipedia

Avocados

Thick skin wrapped around soft, edible parts prevents chemical build-up making non organic avocados a reasonably safe option.

Avocado - Low Pesticides Food You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Photo: Darwin Bell, Flickr

Sweet Corn

Sweet Corn fields are heavily sprayed by the pesticides but little of the bad stuff makes it to the kernels. Various laboratory tests proved little chemical residue on the Sweet Corn kernels making it a reasonably safe food even in non organic form.

Sweet Corn - Low Pesticides Foods You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Photo: USDA, Wikipedia

Pineapple

Most chemical residue gets trapped in the skin of the Pineapples which gets peeled off before consumption. Remember to wash the fruit before you start peeling the skin off so you do not contaminate the juicy parts with the knife that was cutting through pesticide rich skin.

Pineapple - Low Pesticides Food You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Photo: Markus Leupold-Löwenthal, Wikipedia

Mango

Like Pineapples, Mangoes are protected by tough skin that gets peeled off to expose soft juicy part inside. Rinse your non organic Mangoes under running water to remove residue before cutting.

Mango - Low Pesticides Food You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Photo: Zeetz Jones, Flickr

Asparagus

Asparagus is not an attractive target for insects or vegetable diseases making it an easy veggie to grow. Because of that, there is no need to use many pesticides.

Asparagus - Low Pesticides Food You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Photo: itsjustanalias, Flickr

Sweet Peas

Numerous tests proved that pesticide residues are near undetectable in samples of non organic Sweet Peas.

Sweet Peas - Low Pesticides Food You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Photo: Gaetan Lee, Wikipedia

Cabbage

Another vegetable that requires fewer pesticides because it’s not subjected to so many pests. It will grow nicely even without any chemicals involved.

Cabbage - Low Pesticides Food You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Photo: Biso, Wikipedia

Eggplant

As is the case with Sweet Peas, Environmental Working Group claims that traces of pesticides are undetectable in Eggplants. Thick skin wrapped around it surely does great job keeping the chemicals away from edible parts.

Eggplant - Low Pesticides Food You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Photo: J.E. Fee, Wikipedia

Papaya

Papaya skin is thick and does great job protecting the edible fruit inside from pesticides. As with Pineapple, it is recommended you wash Papaya under running water prior to cutting to avoid contamination by residues found on fruit’s skin.

Papaya - Low Pesticides Food You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Photo: love♡janine, Flickr

Watermelon

I assume you already know the answer to why pesticides don’t make it to the juicy parts of Watermelons. There is hardly any chemical that could make it past that rind.

Watermelon - Low Pesticides Food You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Photo: Steve Evans, Wikipedia

Broccoli

Broccoli doesn’t face many pest threats hence fewer pesticides are needed to grow it.

Broccoli - Low Pesticides Food You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Photo: Яick Harris, Flickr

Sweet Potato

Environmental Working Group retains that Sweet Potatoes are unlikely to get contaminated by pesticides and tests tend to prove the claim.

Sweet Potato - Low Pesticides Food You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Photo: RaeA, Flickr

Unlikely Candidate – Kiwi

Kiwi is said to get less contaminated thanks to its skin that prevents absorption of chemicals. Because of this it technically should be included on the list of low pesticide foods you don’t have to buy organic but that would require peeling the skin before eating. If you are not aware, most of the nutrients as well as high doses of Vitamin C – one of the most potent antioxidants – are found directly under the skin of this fruit. By peeling skin off you strip the fruit off its most valuable nutrients. I strictly eat Kiwi with skin (and always organic) and I’d recommend everyone doing the same. Do not peel your Kiwis, but make sure you buy organic if you intend to eat it with the skin.

Kiwifruit - Low Pesticides Food You Don't Have to Buy Organic, Photo: Darrren Hester, Flickr

While list above contains foods that are reasonably safe even if non organic version is bought, you should keep in mind that organic foods are not only healthier for your body, they are also more sustainable for the planet. Organic fruits and vegetables are grown from seeds that were not genetically modified and no sewage based fertilizers or chemical pesticides were used during the course of growing. Farming soils likes that.

Furthermore, even though the foods on the list tested low for pesticide residues, various studies suggest that organic foods are richer in essential nutrient than their non organic versions. The reason we have published this list even though we openly recommend buying organic whenever possible, is because in today’s tough economic times it is not always possible to stick with often higher-priced organic foods. This way if you only buy organic foods which are known to be full of pesticides in non organic versions and stick with non organic when buying foods found on this list, it will make the cost of staying healthy more bearable. Remember – mother nature will thank you each time you buy organic.

13 Foods Full of Pesticides – Avoid or Buy Organic

Happy — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:26:07 +0000

Many of the popular, conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are purchased by the public believing that they are making healthy choices. What people don’t realize is the fact that foods that are not grown organically are treated with potent pesticides and other poisons to speed up their growth, make them grow larger or prevent them from common pests. Below is the list of 15 widely available foods that are found to be heavily contaminated by pesticide and other chemical substances – as per tests conducted by EPA. Because of high contamination level, unless you can get organic versions of these foods, you should avoid them at all costs. Foods listed below don’t have a protective barrier and become thoroughly contaminated which means you’ll be absorbing these harmful substances even if you wash or peel them prior to consuming. To make matters worse, these foods are often treated with really heavy chemicals many of which could lead to serious health issues, including development of cancerous tumors:

1. Peaches

Peaches are treated with multiple pesticides which get soaked right in due to fruit’s delicate skin. Pesticide levels found in non organic peaches are always frighteningly high. Buying non organic peaches means eating all of those chemicals. If you can’t find organic peaches in your area, opt for safer alternatives that are much more resistant to pesticide penetration, such as bananas, watermelons or tangerines.

Peaches, Photo: I Nancy, Flickr

2. Apples

Apples are regularly and frequently treated with chemical poisons to kill insects, fungi and other pests. These chemicals penetrate apples through the skin all the way to the core so washing or peeling won’t help. Apples are full of powerful antioxidants and vitamins most of which are found in the skin or directly under it. Peeling your fruit will strip away most of the beneficial properties apples deliver. Organic apples are widely available and are often sold for price comparable to their pesticide stuffed, non organic versions.

Apple, Photo: Fir0002, Wikipedia

3. Sweet Bell Peppers

Conventionally grown sweet bell peppers are frequently sprayed with heavy insecticides. Thin skin that covers these vegetables allows the pesticide the penetrate deeply into the tissue.

Sweet Bell Peppers, Photo: Kham Tran, Wikipedia

4. Celery

Conventional celery crops are always treated with pesticides but because no protective barrier exists on the surface of this vegetable, washing – regardless of how thorough cannot fully remove the harmful residue. Organic celery is widely available and often reasonably priced.

5. Nectarines

As many as 26 different pesticides are found on conventional nectarines after they have gone through laboratory examination. Many of these are harmful, often cancer promoting substances. Avoid non organic nectarines at all costs.

Nectarines, Photo: Thomas Hawk, Flickr

6. Strawberries

Use of pesticides on strawberries is somewhat regulated in western countries, but these either don’t exist or are not enforced in other countries that export this delicious fruit. Pesticide levels can be dangerously high and cannot be removed by washing. Look for organic strawberries instead.

Strawberry, Photo: David.Monniaux, Wikipedia

7. Cherries

Thin skin covering cherries allows for deep penetration by heavy pesticides. US grown cherries often show higher levels of pesticides than imported ones. Buy organic or avoid.

Cherries, Photo: atomicshark, Flickr

8. Pears

Pests feeding off of pears have become resilient to many pesticides so fruit is sprayed with more and more chemicals year after year. Organic is the only way to go.

Pear, Photo: suttonhoo, Flickr

9. Grapes

Vineyards are sprayed with a variety of pesticides throughout the growth process. Grapes get contaminated right down to the core making the elimination of poisons impossible. Imported grapes are far worse than domestic ones.

Grapes, Photo: miuenski, Flickr

10. Potatoes

Potatoes are sprayed with insecticides and grow in a soil regularly treated with fungicides. Exposure to many chemicals throughout the growth process suggests it’s safer to go with organic potatoes.

Potatoes, Photo: Scott Bauer, Wikipedia

11. Leafy Greens

Leafy greens (spinach, lettuce) are sprayed with most potent pesticides used on food. Contamination is heavy and substances extremely harmful. Choose safer alternatives, such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli or buy organic.

Romaine Lettuce, Photo: Rainer Zenz, Wikipedia

12. Carrots

Europe is in the process of banning the pesticides commonly used for treatment of carrots, onions and parsnips because of verifiably harmful effects. North America has not caught up to it yet so opt for safe, organic carrots instead.

Baby Carrots, Photo: ccharmon, Flickr

13. Tomatoes

Tomatoes vary in pesticides levels. Sometimes they are high, sometimes low. Perhaps it has something to do with better pesticides developed in recent years, however I would still steer away from conventional ones and go for organic tomatoes since they are widely available and have become more affordable.

Tomato, Photo: Darwin Bell, Flickr

Any organic food will be safer for you and your family than its non organic, conventional version. On top of fruits and vegetables, try to stick with organic meat. Animals that are not grown according to organic standards are fed with crops full of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, they are injected with growth hormones to make them grow large fast and with antibiotics to prevent them from getting sick. The conditions in which these animals are raised are inhuman, often overcrowded and dirty. Organic meat often comes from free run animals that are not injected with chemicals and are fed with organically grown grains. To help your body stay healthy and cancer free, steer away from pesticide treated foods and buy organic. The cost of cancer treatment is far greater than extra bucks you may end up paying for organic versions of foods you eat every day. Is it really worth the risk?