The dirty dozen: vegetables laden with pesticides

Just because they're healthy doesn't mean they're clean. Here are foods that you should always buy organic.

More than 50 different pesticides have been found of lecture. Randi Sokoloff for The National

They may be healthy but that doesn’t mean they’re clean. Certain foods are grown in such a way that they are excessively exposed to more toxic chemicals than other foods.

A report by The Daily Green identified 12 different fruits and vegetables that are notoriously covered with toxins.
To avoid contamination, we should buy organic items. They can be more expensive but, by being selective, we can significantly reduce our intake of toxic chemicals.

Even if we don’t buy organic, this raises the issue of food hygiene. Thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before eating them. This is especially important with the current trend of juicing. If we are not careful, our juices will be a pool of toxicity rather than a river of wellness.

Here are the dirty dozen foods:

Kale With more iron than red meat, kale is a superfood but is usually contaminated with ­pesticides.

Lettuce More than 50 pesticides have been found on lettuce.

Potatoes More than 35 pesticides have been detected in tests conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Grapes Imported grapes can have more than 30 chemical pesticides; raisins have high pesticide residue, too.

Spinach It's a nutrient powerhouse but tests show a massive 50 different chemical pesticides. Frozen spinach usually has about the same amount.

Strawberries These berries have been shown to have more than 60 different pesticides on them, though frozen strawberries have less.

Apples More than 40 chemicals have been found on apples. Apple sauce and apple juice also contained pesticide residue.

Peaches With 60 or more pesticides found on them, peaches are not so sweet.

Celery Tests have shown celery fairs no better than peaches, with more than 60 chemicals being found on this popular salad ingredient.

Nectarines Overall, 33 different pesticides have been found on them. If they are locally produced this number can be less.

Bell peppers Nearly 50 chemicals on these. Every colour variety of sweet bell peppers is contaminated.

Blueberries With more than 50 varieties of chemical residues being found on them, these berries definitely need to be bought from the organic section.

Laura Holland is a well-being consultant and nutritional therapist. For more information, go to www.beutifulyou.co.uk

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