Wellness News You Can Use: Pesticides, Produce, and You (Oh My!)

We’ve all heard of organic produce, and we’ve all heard about pesticide residues in produce. You might have heard that pesticides are a huge danger and that you should only eat organic food, or you might have heard that pesticides are present in foods in such small amounts that they are not likely to cause harm. I suspect that the truth is somewhere between these two extremes.

It is known that the majority of people (including young children) in developed countries test positive for measurable amounts of multiple pesticides. Having measurable amounts of pesticides in our bodies isn’t, in itself, necessarily a problem. The problem is that there isn’t clear enough data about what levels of which pesticides might cause health risks.

For most pesticides, the health effects of a large exposure are pretty well understood. The problem is that manufacturers aren’t required to do research about prolonged low-level exposures, so those effects are not well understood. There is also very little known about the effects of exposure to low levels of multiple pesticides, which could act differently than looking at the chemicals individually might predict.

Given this uncertainty, shouldn’t we just eat all organic all the time? Perhaps, but there are other considerations. Organic produce can cost considerably more than conventionally-grown produce, and this is a barrier for many of us. In addition, more and more organic produce is being grown on large factory-style farms and transported many miles. Long transport times may reduce the nutrient content of produce and certainly raises questions about environmental impact.

A resource that can help is the Environmental Working Group’s “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides.” The EWG has ranked produce based on levels of pesticide residues present. Armed with this information, you can choose organics for the “Dirty Dozen” most contaminated foods, and save your pennies by choosing conventional when you buy the least contaminated foods. You can also choose to eat fewer of the more contaminated foods, especially when organic versions are not available or not affordable, and replace them with more of the least contaminated foods.

What do I think?

• Any produce is better than no produce in your diet.
• Locally-grown, in-season organic produce from growers who use sustainable environmental practices is the “holy grail” of produce. Choose it when it is available and within your budget. (I’ll tell you more about this in an upcoming issue!)
• When buying produce from the “Dirty Dozen” list, make a real effort to buy organic. (Peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes, carrots, and pears.)
• Conventionally-grown produce from the “Clean Fifteen” list is much lower in pesticide residues. (Onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, mango, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes.)
• I tend toward buying locally-grown produce when I can, even if it isn’t organic.
• Exposure to pesticides can be reduced by washing and peeling most conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables.

For more information, including a downloadable pocket card with the produce lists, visit www.foodnews.org.