Pesticides are chemicals used to eliminate pests, insects or fungi that affect and damage the cultivation of some fruits or vegetables. However, the indiscriminate use of these brings various health problems, especially if you are very exposed to the consumption of foods high in these.
Fortunately, there is a team called the Environmental Working Group (EWG), who annually draw up a list called Dirty Dozen , which presents a detailed classification of the fruits and vegetables that, during their production, they use the most and fewer pesticides, so that you select and consume the healthiest for you.
Know the dangers of food contaminated with pesticides and which are the fruits and vegetables that contain the most pesticides .
What risks does the consumption of pesticides bring to health?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the consumption of pesticides through fruits and vegetables can cause problems and health risks, be it birth defects, nerve damage and cancer. For this reason, it is important to limit the exposure and intake of foods with a high content of these, especially to young children whose immune systems and organs are in full growth and development.
Dr. Philip Landrigan of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai says that even low-level pesticide exposure can be harmful to infants and young children. Therefore, it recommends that parents and caregivers take the necessary measures to reduce the intake of foods with exposure to pesticides and feed children with diets rich in healthy fruits and vegetables.
Faced with these health risks, Philip suggests using the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists, which will guide you to buy the most appropriate products.
What fruits and vegetables have the highest pesticide content?
The EWG group analyzed tests conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture, which found that, of 48 types of products, 70 percent of them contained pesticides. Likewise, it was shown in the samples that there are a total of 178 different types of pesticides used. Worst of all, much of the pesticide residue remains on fruits and vegetables, or even after washing and peeling.
Within this analysis it was determined that strawberries are the food with the highest pesticide , with at least 20 different pesticides used for their cultivation. Next, we have spinach, with an average of twice more pesticide residues than any other crop.
List of fruits with more pesticides
Apart from the 2 above, these 10 other fruits and vegetables complete the Dozen List .
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Peaches
- Celery
- Grapes
- Pears
- Cherries
- Tomatoes
- Sweet peppers
- Potatoes.
Which fruits and vegetables contain the least pesticides?
Eating fruits and vegetables is essential to have a balanced diet, no matter how they are grown, but if you have to take into account the elements or pesticides implemented for their cultivation.
Sonya Lunder, an analyst at EWG , advises consumers to buy organic products. But, if you can’t buy organic products, he also invites you to buy products grown conventionally, but with low pesticide content.
How to choose fruits and vegetables with less pesticides?
To guide you in buying fruits and vegetables with low pesticide content, the EWG group also released a list called “ Clean Fifteen ”, where they publish products that are less likely to be contaminated with pesticide residues.
Sweet corn and avocado were the cleanest on the list: only one percent of the samples showed detectable pesticides, while the following make up the list of fruits and vegetables with the least chemical residues :
- Pineapple.
- The cabbage.
- The onions.
- The frozen peas.
- Papayas.
- Asparagus.
- Mangoes.
- The eggplant.
- The melon.
- Kiwis.
- The cantaloupe melon.
- Cauliflower.
- Grapefruit.
Reference
- Leah Groth. The Latest Scary News About Pesticides in Fruits and Veggies. For Livestrong [Revised April 2017]
