Monday, May 23, 2011

An article on "Why should I buy organic?"

CLICK HERE for the full article (taken from "Healthy Bellies Happy Babies")


an excerpt:

Why should I buy Organic?

I always hear the reason why people don't buy organic is because its much more expense then the alternative brands; I get that, but I've been doing my research on why eating organic is so important.  So here is why.

The Environmental  Working Group recommends buying organic whenever possible. It is the smartest way to reduce your exposure to pesticides; Pesticides are toxic by design.  They are created to kill living organisms -such as insects, plants, and fungi.  Many pesticides pose health dangers to people.  These risks have been established by independent research scientists and physicians across the world.
As acknowledged by U.S. and international government agencies, different pesticides have been linked to a variety of health problems, including:
  • nervous system toxicity
  • cancer
  • hormone system effects
  • skin, eye and lung irritation
  • Lower IQ in children (recent studies done out of Mount Sinai, Columbia, Beekley)
Also by buying organic we are sending a message that we support environmentally friendly farming practices that minimize soil erosion, safeguard water quality and protect wildlife. 

Finally, organic foods are healthier for you. The research on whether consuming organic food is healthier for people remains inconclusive. However, the USDA's own tests show that most non-organic produce contain residual pesticides even after washing.  The long term effects of consuming these pesticides has not been sufficiently studied, but most research shows that they aren't good for you.

Things to do to limit your exposure to Pesticides:
  • Wash, Scrub and Peel your fruits and vegetable's
  • Buy organic for those fruits and vegetable's that cant be peeled
  • Discard the outer leaves on leafy vegetable's
  • Meats/Poultry/Fish - take off skin and trim fat since pesticides affect these areas most
The Environmental Working Group composed a full list of the Best and Worst (Fruits and Vegetables) that contain pesticides.

Starting with the Best and down to the Worst!
  1. Onions (Best)
  2. Avocado
  3. Sweet Corn (Frozen)
  4. Pineapples
  5. Mango's (Subtropical and Tropical)
  6. Sweet Peas (frozen)
  7. Asparagus
  8. Kiwi Fruit (Subtropical and Tropical)
  9. Cabbage
  10. Eggplant
  11. Cantaloupe (Domestic)
  12. Watermelon
  13. Grapefruit
  14. Sweet Potatoes
  15. Honeydew Melon
  16. Plums (Domestic)
  17. Cranberries
  18. Winter Squash
  19. Broccoli
  20. Bananas
  21. Tomatoes
  22. Cauliflower
  23. Cucumbers (Domestic)
  24. cantaloupe (Imported)
  25. Grapes (Domestic)
  26. Oranges
  27. Red Raspberries
  28. Hot Peppers
  29. Green Beans (Imported)
  30. Cucumbers (Imported)
  31. Summer Squash
  32. Plums (Imported)
  33. Pears
  34. Green Beans (Domestic)
  35. Carrots
  36. Blueberries
  37. Lettuce  (Imported)
  38. Grapes (Imported)
  39. Potatoes
  40. Kale/Collard Greens
  41. Cherries
  42. Spinach
  43. Sweet Bell Peppers
  44. Nectarines
  45. Blueberries (Domestic)
  46. Apple
  47. Strawberries
  48. Peaches
  49. Celery (Worst)



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