Deepak Chopra, MD - Weekly Health Tip: Should You Always Buy Organic?
The benefits of organic farming are undeniable. Crops grown without chemical pesticides do not contaminate the earth with toxic substances. Organic farmers use crop rotation and other natural processes to keep the soil healthy and fertile. Studies show that some (but not all) organically grown fruits and vegetables are higher in certain nutrients than the conventionally grown versions. But organic farming is more expensive than conventional farming, and that fact is reflected in the price of organic foods. As organic farming becomes more common, organic produce will be more widely available and prices should come down. For now, shop strategically. Some conventionally grown fruits and vegetables retain very low amounts of pesticides by the time they reach the marketplace. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is an advocacy group that aims to protect public health and the environment. Using government analyses of pesticide levels in foods, the EWG has compiled a list of the fruits and vegetables most and least likely to have pesticide residues: The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15. According to EWG, “You can lower your pesticide consumption by nearly four-fifths by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and instead eating the least contaminated produce.” Check out the results of their research, below, before your next trip to the market.
The Dirty Dozen: These fruits and vegetables tend to be high in pesticide residue when grown conventionally. Buy them from an organic source whenever you can.
- celery
- peaches
- strawberries
- apples
- blueberries
- nectarines
- sweet bell peppers
- spinach, kale, collard greens
- cherries
- potatoes
- imported grapes
- lettuce
The Clean 15*: When grown conventionally, these items remain low in pesticide residue. There are fewer advantages to buying them from an organic source.
- onions
- avocado
- sweet corn
- pineapple
- mango
- sweet peas
- asparagus
- kiwi fruit
- cabbage
- eggplant
- cantaloupe
- watermelon
- grapefruit
- sweet potato
- sweet onion
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*Data and title courtesy of the Environmental Working Group (EWG)
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pesticide Data Program has analyzed the pesticide levels of domestic food products since it began in 1991. The group tests washed, ready-to-eat produce. Between 1993 and 2003, about 58% of the sampled fruits and vegetables were found to contain pesticides, although in greatly varying amounts. There are six produce items in particular that had detectable residues on 90% of the samples for two years or more. These are apples, celery, cherries, nectarines, peaches and strawberries. Fewer than 1% of the produce sampled contained levels higher than those recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency.
For additional information: USDA Pesticide Data Program: Pesticide Residues on Fresh and Processed Fruit and Vegetables, Grains, Meats, Milk, and Drinking Water.
Learn more about balancing your diet with healthful produce:
Thank you for writing about your concern over genetically modified organisms. Because the research and regulation of GMOs differs significantly from the system to track pesticide residues, it would have been difficult to include a meaningful discussion in this short post. We are happy to add the subject to our list of topics that warrant a full exploration in another post.
Good question! Although peeling the skin off fruits may reduce exposure to pesticide residues, eating "whole" fruits and vegetables is what we recommend. Using your example of an apple, the antioxidant activity of the peel can be as much as two to six times greater than that found in the flesh, depending on what type of apple you choose to eat. The fiber found in different apple peels is also higher. It can be two to three times greater than what is found in the flesh. For this reason, we advise readers to keep the peel on!
Here are a few tips for reducing pesticide exposure through diet, if you can't purchase organic foods:
- Thoroughly wash produce and when appropriate scrub it with a brush. There are studies that show that this is very effective for reducing many types of pesticide residues.
- Try to buy produce when it is in season, since lengthy storage times are associated with increased pesticide use.
- Eat a broad variety of different types of produce.
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Looking at information from the Environmental Working Group and the USDA's Pesticide Data Program, here is some additional information about bananas and oranges.
Bananas:
Environmental Working Group ranks bananas 30th on their list with 58.3% of samples containing pesticide residues and and the average number of pesticides found on a single sample being 0.75. Their list ranks produce 1-50, with 1 posing the greatest risk for pesticide exposure. The list is compiled from USDA PDP data from 2000 to 2008.
For 2007, the USDA PDP found that 27.3% of samples had no pesticides at all, 47.3% of samples had one pesticide, and 24.1% of samples had two pesticides. Imazalil and Thiabendazole were the most common pesticides found on bananas in that year.
Oranges:
Environmental Working Group ranks oranges 24th on their list with 85.1% of samples containing pesticide residues and the average number of pesticides found on a single sample being 1.25.
For 2005, the USDA PDP found that 9.6% of samples had no pesticides at all, 37.0% of samples had one pesticide, 37.8% of samples had two pesticides, and 14.3% of samples had three pesticides. Imazalil, o-Phenylphenol, and Thiabendazole were the most common pesticides found on oranges in that year.
Thank you for writing about your concern over genetically modified organism contamination. Because the research and regulation of GMOs differs significantly from the system to track pesticide residues, it would have been difficult to include a meaningful discussion in this short post. We are happy to add the subject to our list of topics that warrant a full exploration in another post.
Dear EnigmaNetxx,
While our tip focused on fresh produce, there are standards for cosmetic products as well. Here is an overview from the USDA, which describes how organic cosmetics are regulated.
http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/ProductInformation/ucm203078.htm
Dear Graeme Burn:
Environmental Working Group ranks carrots 15th on their list with 81.5% of samples containing pesticide residues and and the average number of pesticides found on a single sample being 1.77. Their list ranks produce 1-50, with 1 posing the greatest risk for pesticide exposure. The list is compiled from USDA PDP data from 2000 to 2008.
For 2007, the USDA PDP found that 20.8% of samples had no pesticides at all, 27.8% of samples had one pesticide, and 17.5% of samples had two pesticides, 15.9% of samples had 3 pesticides, and 10.1% of samples contained 4 pesticides. Pesticides found on carrots included Azoxystrobin, Baoscalid, DDE p,p', Iprodione, Pyraclostrobin, and Trifluralin.
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