“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
That old saying might be true in some cases, but recent studies have found that over 70% of non-organic produce contains pesticides.
The Environmental Working Group released their 2022 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, revealing that some of our favorite fruits and veggies have massive amounts of pesticide residue on them.
Department of Agriculture testing data collected since 2004 found multiple pesticides on 46 fruits and vegetables. Items with the most pesticide include:
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Celery
- Peaches
- Pears
- Cherries
- Hot and bell peppers
- Grapes
- Apples
- Nectarines
- Kale, collard greens and mustard greens
- Spinach
The EWG 2022 Clean Fifteen highlights the produce with the fewest number of pesticides, and includes:
- Sweet corn
- Pineapple
- Onions
- Avocados
- Frozen sweet peas
- Papaya
- Honeydew melon
- Asparagus
- Kiwi
- Cantaloupe
- Mangoes
- Watermelon
- Sweet potatoes
The risks of digesting pesticides
Toxins in pesticides can cause a wide range of health problems, including symptoms similar to food poisoning.
Of course, the health risks from pesticides are contingent on the type of pesticides used. Some pesticides can impact the body, cause cancer, or irritate the eyes and skin according to the U.S. Environment Protection Agency. If you’ve been exposed to pesticides, here are a list of symptoms of pesticide poisoning:
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Abdominal cramps
- Twitchy muscles
- Extreme tiredness
- Feeling weak and shaky
Instead of cutting out all of the items on the “Dirty Dozen” list, consider shopping for organic produce. According to the EWG, organically grown produce drastically limits the amount of pesticide on produce. You’ll also avoid items that may have been genetically modified.
Some tips to avoiding high pesticide levels in produce include picking produce locally, from a farmers market, for example, and rinsing produce before consumption.
