We already know that eating fresh fruits and vegetables is essential to get a healthy body. However, due to overpopulation or any other reason, our food is getting polluted and we unknowingly eat the food thinking it does wonders for our system. We must not only look for healthier options but also for neat and clean food which contains less harmful chemicals in it. It is always a better idea to compromise in price when it comes to buying fruits and vegetables. In other words, spending more on quality food is way better than spending on hospitals.
“Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen list of 2018” in which we can see a lot of food items that are being cultivated with harmful chemicals is published.” They selected different food items that are polluted and food items that are not so polluted which means non-organic are acceptable in the list called “clean 15”. Since organic food is expensive and many cant afford it, you can look at both lists and buy accordingly.
Environmental Working group analyzed USDA pesticide residue data and found that almost 70 percent of non-organic produce sampled tested positive for pesticide contamination. More than 98 percent of samples of strawberries, spinach, peaches, nectarines, cherries and apples tested positive for residue of at least one pesticide.
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Eating food with high pesticide residue levels are linked to adverse effects, one of which is women who eat this food which is included in high pesticide residue levels may not achieve a successful pregnancy. The figures are up to 26%. Another example of effects of eating this food is associated with less sperm count of men in various countries across the globe, which is about 50% drop in past 40 years. There are many issues that associated with consuming this food. So always take care of your health by buying quality food at least for the list given below.
Dirty Dozen list as per Environmental Working Group - Apples, apple sauces, blueberries, grapes, green beans, leafy greens, pears, peaches, potatoes, plums, spinach, strawberries, raisins, sweet peppers, tomatoes, winter squashes.
Clean list as per Environmental Working Group - Apple juice, avocados, bananas, beans, broccoli, cabbages, cantaloupes, carrots, cauliflower, celery, corn, eggplants, grapefruits, lentils, lettuce, onions, oranges, orange juices, peas, prunes, summer squashes, sweet potatoes, tofu, tomato sauces, zucchini.
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Strawberries, spinach, and pears are listed high in pesticides residue level. So, consider purchasing them in a quality store as you don’t want to eat chemicals.