Purchasing all organic groceries can be limited by access to quality foods and by budget. This report by the Environmental Working Group done every year tests produce across the country for pesticide contamination.
The Dirty Dozen is the list which was most frequently found to be contaminated. Therefore it is highly recommended to buy these items only when they're grown organically.
We will cover why it's beneficial to avoid chemicals a bit later, for now let's get right to the list.
The Dirty Dozen (2)
Buy these only when produced organically.
Strawberries
Spinach
Kale
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Peaches
Cherries
Pears
Tomates
Celery
Potatoes
The Clean Fifteen list, also made by EWG helps to identify conventional produce that has little to no pesticide residue detected. This helps budget minded people choose when it's most important to buy organic and when they can buy conventional produce and still be likely to avoid pesticides and other chemicals.
The Clean Fifteen
Less likely to be contaminated even if they're not organic.
Avocados
Sweet Corn*
Pineapples
Frozen Sweet Peas
Onions
Papayas*
Eggplants
Asparagus
Kiwis
Cabbages
Cauliflower
Cantaloupes
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Honeydew Melons
Why Buy Organic?
There is a general consensus that eating plenty of fruits and veggies everyday, whether organic or conventional, is better for your health compared to a diet that ignores produce.
There is good reason, however to buy organic whenever possible. Research studies can be limiting and isolating. Long term effects are hard to pinpoint to one specific chemical leading to many inconclusive results.
Pesticide exposure is associated with:
A closer look at Infertility
Tens of thousands of chemicals made by humans were only recently introduced to the the environment, our food supply, and our bodies in that last 50-100 years. Yet researchers found in just 4 decades between 1973 and 2011, there's been a 50-60% reduction in sperm count in men in North American, Europe, and Australia. These reduction, which haven't slowed down, have been associated with overall morbidity and mortality. (3)
The Global Perspective: Beyond Your Body
Pesticide use is also strongly implicated in environmental degradation. Perhaps the most well known issue is colony collapse of honeybees. The bees play such a vital role in the global ecosystem, this one fact alone is cause to buy organic.
Other issues associated with pesticide use are wildlife loss, microorganism decline, animal poisoning, and loss of natural enemies to pests. (5)
Conclusion
One study estimated $9.6 billion in economic costs each year that are related to the losses and problems connected to pesticide use. (4)
As a whole, buying organic may just be the less expensive option and is definitely the healthier option. When you can, make a relationship with your local farmer's at the market. Sometimes farms aren't certified organic yet are still committed to organic practices. The relationship also brings a deeper understanding of how the cycles in our environment food supply are all dependent on each other for health and sustainability.
Citations
Baudry, J., Assmann, K. E., & Touvier, M. (2018, December 1). Association of Organic Food Consumption With Cancer Risk: Findings From the Nutrient-Sante Prospective Cohort. Retrieved December 19, 2019, from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2707948.
Environmental Working Group. (2019, March 20). EWG's 2019 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce™. Retrieved December 19, 2019, from https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php.
Levine, H., Jorgensen, N., Martino-Andrade, A., Mendiola, J., Weksler-Derri, D., Mindlis, I., … Swan, S. H. (2017). Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Human Reproduction Update, 1–14. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmx022
Pimentel, D., Acquay, H., Biltonen, M., Rice, P., Silva, M., Nelson, J., … D'Amore, M. (1992). Environmental and Economic Costs of Pesticide Use. BioScience, 42(10), 750–760. doi: 10.2307/1311994
Pimentel, D., & Burgess, M. (2014). Environmental and Economic Costs of the Application of Pesticides Primarily in the United States. Integrated Pest Management, 47–71. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-7796-5_2
Xavier, R., Rekha, K., & Bairy, K. L. (2004). Health Perspective of Pesticide Exposure and Dietary Management. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, 39–51. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rathinam_Xavier/publication/225300572_Health_perspective_of_pesticide_exposure_and_dietary_management/links/561c813708aea8036724416d/Health-perspective-of-pesticide-exposure-and-dietary-management.pdf
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