Can we avoid pesticides? Unfortunately, just washing vegetables is not enough any more, to ensure produce is clean enough for consumption. We all ingest lots of chemicals, one way or another. We breathe them, we drink them, and we eat them.

The most troublesome are pesticides used in fresh produce. While we are eating fruits and vegetables, in reality we are also ingesting poisons that can accumulate in our bodies and make us very sick. This is food that is supposed to be healthy and good for us!

Even if the most toxic chemicals have already been banned for use in agriculture, pesticides in general are poisons designed to kill insects, weed, small rodents and other pests. The long time effects of these poisons on people are not completely known. Even the minimal risk with these pollutants is too much, when we think we may expose children to them. We should try to do every thing possible to minimize our intake of these adverse chemicals.

Education is the key. Knowing which produce contains more pollutants can help us make the right choices, avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least polluted, or by buying organic produce instead. Simulation of consumers eating habits has demonstrated that by changing their eating practices a little bit, this can considerably lower the ingestion of pesticides.

The results of an investigation on pesticides in produce by the USDA Pesticide Data Program, show that fruits topped the list of the consistently most contaminated produce, with eight of the 12 most polluted foods. The dirty dozen are: Apples, Bell Peppers, Celery, Cherries, Imported Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Red Raspberries, Spinach, and Strawberries.

You don’t like broccoli? That is too bad, because they are among those least contaminated. In fact the 12 least polluted produce are: Asparagus, Avocados, Bananas, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Sweet Corn, Kiwi, Mangos, Onions, Papaya, Pineapples, and Sweet Peas.

Can washing of produce help get rid of pesticides? Not really. The fruits and vegetables tested by the USDA PDP are “prepared emulating the practices of the average consumer” before testing for pesticides. That is: apples are washed with stems and cores removed; asparagus and spinach have inedible portions removed and are washed; cantaloupes are cut in half and seed and rinds are removed; and tomatoes are washed and stems removed.

Washing before consuming is highly recommended because this helps decrease the pesticide residues present on the surface of the vegetables, but the majority of pollutants are absorbed into the plant and can’t be just washed away. Some pesticides are specifically created to stick to the surface of the crops and they don’t come out by washing. Peeling can help to eliminate some of the chemicals but not all, and a lot of important substances will be discarded with the skin.

So, on one hand we have to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables for a healthy diet, and on the other hand we have to reduce the intake of pesticides as much as possible. What do you do if you are not convinced by the claims of the chemical companies that certain levels of pesticides are not dangerous?

We have very few options to defend ourselves: (1) Wash all vegetables and fruit very well; (2) Change eating habits in order to consume more of the produce with low pollutants; (3) Consume a diet as varied as possible; (4) Buy organic foods.

That is about as much as we can do to avoid ingesting residues of pesticide chemicals and that is why so many health conscious people are now insisting on natural, organic produce. Why not grow your own?

Your own backyard garden is the best way to save money and save your health in the 21st century. Discover 7 big reasons why every family must have their own backyard organic garden…plus six more bonus e-books. Learn how to start up, or enhance your own organic vegetable garden, at home. Everyone can save money on food bills and produce superior fruit and vegetables. Get it here: http://www.dersalsites.com/gardeningtips/prod/orgveg/ 

Sally Robson is a South African Internet marketer, who together with her husband Derek, have a vision of empowering all fellow South Africans and other non U.S folk, to have equal opportunity and success on the internet, by overcoming the many obstacles facing them. They have started a string of sites, resources, courses and articles, as part of Dersalsites. Sally has a passion for gardening. For more articles and advice on gardening topics, visit Sally at: http://www.dersalsites.com/sallysgardeningtips/ 

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