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Organic Foods: The Most & The Least Contaminated Foods

Index of Diseases / Health Conditions ... Medicinal Foods, Herbs, Spices & Household Items

The below provides a general overview on this topic and may not apply to everyone. Any treatment protocol should be discussed with a qualified healthcare practitioner ... Please refer to: Medical & Legal Disclaimer.

In the United States it can be assumed that just about all municipal drinking water contains pesticide residues and with the exception of organic foods, so does the food supply.

A study was published in the Environmental Health Perspectives (Vol. 111, 2003) assessing organophosphorus (OP) pesticide exposure from diet by biological monitoring among Seattle, Washington, preschool children. Parents kept food diaries for 3 days before urine collection, and they distinguished organic and conventional foods based on label information. Children were then classified as having consumed either organic or conventional diets based on analysis of the diary data. Urine samples from 18 children with organic diets and 21 children with conventional diets were analyzed and the researchers found an approximately six times higher exposure levels for children with conventional diets than for children with organic diets. According to this study, the consumption of organic produce appears to provide a relatively simple way for parents to reduce their children's exposure to OP pesticides.

Even small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can adversely affect people, especially during vulnerable periods of fetal development and childhood when exposures can have long lasting effects. The negative impact of pesticides on our health, even at very small trace levels, is well documented. Pesticide exposure compromises the liver's ability to process other toxins, the cells' ability to produce energy, and the nerves' ability to send messages. Because the toxic effects of pesticides are worrisome, not well understood, or in some cases completely unstudied, shoppers are wise to minimize exposure to pesticides whenever possible.

• Nearly all of the data used to create these lists already considers how people typically wash and prepare produce (for example, apples are washed before testing, bananas are peeled).

More Nutrients: A review of 41 studies comparing the nutritional value of organically to conventionally grown fruits, vegetables and grains, also indicates organic crops provide substantially more of several nutrients, including:

• 27% more vitamin C
• 21.1% more iron
• 29.3% more magnesium
• 13.6% more phosphorus

Buying organic can be expensive and we may have to focus on eliminating those foods with the highest amounts of pesticides, chemicals, additives and hormones.

Tips for buying organically ...

1. Purchase from your local farmer ’s markets, not your supermarket.
2. Join a community-supported agriculture program if one is available near you (it allows you to buy produce, meats and other foods directly from the farm)
3. Plant a garden; even a small space can produce a lot of fresh food
4. If you must shop in a supermarket, look for locally grown items, which are likely to be fresher than other foods

Below listed are the MOST and the LEAST contaminated food items.

• Produce that isn't listed below is somewhere in between. When deciding whether or not to go "organic," the thickness of the peel / skin is important. For example, citrus fruits have thick skins that protect them for the most part from any pesticides seeping in. However, if you are using their skin in your recipes (i.e., lemon cest), then you would be well advised to buy them organic. Produce with thin / porous skins will soak up any chemicals, and washing won't help much.




Ways to Minimize Pesticides: Rinse produce with running water to remove most trace residues. Commercial produce washes are unnecessary. Do not use detergents since they can leave their own chemical residues. Remove and discard outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage. Scrub thick-skinned produce such as apples, potatoes, carrots, and parsnips. Peeling the skin removes much of the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other healthy compounds. Choose low fat milk products and lean cuts of meat and poultry to minimize consumption of pesticides found in animal fat. Consider eating organic vegetables, fruits, meat and poultry, since pesticides are not used in their growth and processing. Ways to Minimize Growth Hormones and Antibiotic Residues in Meats: Consider eating organic meat and poultry. Pesticides and hormones are not used in the growing process of organic foods. Eat a variety of protein-rich foods to get the maximum nutritional benefit and to minimize your exposure to any one potential chemical. Incorporate vegetarian protein sources such as legumes, nuts, and seeds into your diet. Eat fish more often for its healthy omega-3 oils. - Click here to find the best and the worst fish to eat. Avoid eating animal protein (meat, poultry) every day. When you do eat meat or poultry, note your serving size. Use the size of the palm of your hand as a guide for a healthy portion size. Ways to Minimize Mercury in your Diet: To minimize your intake of mercury from fish, Health Canada recommends: Limit your intake of:swordfish, shark, and fresh and frozen tuna to one meal per week for adults.  Pregnant women, women of child-bearing years, and young children should limit their intake to no more than 1 meal per month.   Health Canada states that canned tuna is safe; however, some research has found certain varieties of canned tuna such as albacore and blue fin to be higher in mercury than light or skipjack tuna.  Check with your territorial authority for advisories or information on sport fish caught in local waters. Click here to find the best and the worst fish to eat. Supplements, such a good quality Cod Liver Oil, are also an option. There are some lemon-flavored version that are not unpleasant to eat (click on the link for more info).

• To the right are additional tips for reducing contaminants in your food.



• For a list of chemicals in our food, typical foods associated with those chemicals, and the effects they may have on our health, please visit this webpage.

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The LEAST Contaminated Foods - No Need to Buy Organic

The following food items are the least contaminated food items that you don't necessarily need to purchase organic.

• Vegetables: Asparagus, Avocados, Broccoli, Cabbage, Onions (Please note: Avocados are extremely nutritious for us, but are toxic to birds!)

• Fruits: Bananas, Kiwi Fruit, Mango, Papaya, Pineapples

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The MOST Contaminated Foods - Best Buy Organic

The following food items are the most contaminated food items that you should always buy organic.

Fish

One of the foods that health practitioners recommend for good health and longevity is fish and yet, increasingly so, it is becoming one of the most contaminated protein sources in the world.

• Click here to find out what fish to eat and which ones to avoid at all cost.

Meat

• The Danger of Red Meat / Processed Meats:

  Antibiotics & Hormones: Animals destined for food production are exposed to antibiotics, growth hormones and steroids that will end up in the meat that we eat. The long-term effects on us are largely unknown but the inherent danger is undisputed.

  Preservatives: Also, manufacturers add color-fixer chemicals, such as Sodium Nitrate, to preserve meats and also to keep the red color of the meat -- without this, the meat would turn grey, which would obviously keep consumers from buying it.

  The USDA tried to ban the chemical Sodium Nitrate in the 1970s, but was unsuccessful due to lobbyists. Researchers actually use Sodium Nitrate to induce cancer in lab animals so that they can research this disease. So, together with the meat, we are actually eating substances known to cause "cancer."

  Corn Syrup: Processed meats commonly contain high-fructose corn syrup (linked to liver disease, obesity and other health problems).

  Pesticides: Animals (chicken, pork, cows, etc.) raised for the meat market using traditional methods are generally provided a feed that is grown with the help of pesticides.

  ***Summary & Recommendations: Whatever toxins the food animals eat may end up in you. Therefore, the options are to either change over to a vegetarian diet, or, alternatively, to buy organic meats from animals that have been raised without the use of growth factors, antibiotics and steroids - commonly referred to as "free-range." These animals should be fed on natural, pesticide-free grass without the use of chemicals. This recommendation also applies to eggs and other dairy products. For the sake of your family's health and for humanitarian reasons that dictate that all living beings are entitled to humane treatment, it's best to buy organic / free-range or switch to a vegetarian lifestyle.

Milk and Dairy Products

The fat in dairy products is another haven for pesticides, antibiotics and bovine growth hormones. These get passed on to you through commercial milk, cheese, and butter. Organic dairies do not use chemicals or growth hormones like rGBH or rbST.

Studies show that just one sausage a day can significantly raise your risk of bowel cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease, according to an analysis by the World Cancer Research Fund. Eating 1.8 ounces of processed meat daily - about one sausage or three pieces of bacon - raises the likelihood of the cancer by a fifth. Processed meats may also trigger cancer in the prostate, lung, stomach and esophagus.

Processed meats include bacon, ham, pastrami, salami and hot dogs. Sausages and hamburgers can also fall into the category if they have been preserved with salt or chemical additives. The analysis also found that red meat raises the risk of bowel cancer, but to a lesser extent. Processing raises levels of cancer-causing chemicals called N-nitroso compounds, making bacon, sausages and other processed meats more deadly. The World Cancer Research Fund recommends people avoid eating all processed meats. According to estimates, if everyone cut down on red and processed meat, one in 10 cases of bowel cancer could be prevented. (Ref.: Daily Mail March 31, 2008 World Cancer Research Fund: Food Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective November 2007)

Not-so-organic! If humane farming practices are important to you, educate yourself on the manufacturers of the organic products you buy. For example one of the major manufacturers of "organic milk": Horizon (Dean’s) organic milk - actually comes from factory-style dairy farms where the animals are kept in intensive confinement and have been imported from conventional farms as calves. The corporation's practices are described as packing as many as 8,000 cattle onto feedlots, with little or no access to pasture, and then misleadingly labeling these products as "organic". The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) filed a letter with USDA supporting a legal complaint that calls for an investigation of the two factory farms that the Horizon organic dairy company manages and sources for a significant portion of their "organic" dairy products..

Coffee

Many of the beans you buy are grown in countries that don't regulate the use of chemicals and pesticides.

Look for the Fair Trade Certified label on the coffee package or can; it will give you some assurance that chemicals and pesticides were not used on the plants. It will also mean that fair prices were paid for the end product in support of the farm that supplied the coffee, and that the farm workers are treated fairly.

• Also refer this information: "Decaf - Doing More Harm than Good? and Health Benefits & The Downside of Coffee"

Fruits:

Apples and Pears

According to researchers at Iowa State University, apples are one of the most pesticide intensive crops grown in the United States. During the growing season, apple growers spray the trees with pesticides multiple times. When the Environmental Working Group tested conventionally grown apples, they discovered as many as 36 pesticides on the apples. The pesticides that were detected have been linked to damages to the human reproductive system, damages to the brain and nervous system, including decreased intelligence and increased attention problems in children, and damages to the immune system. Studies from Britain and France reveal organic apples have greater concentrations of nutrients. Cornell University researchers concluded that apple consumption could be an effective strategy for cancer prevention and that the phytonutrients in organic apples may actually reduce breast tumors.

Scrubbing and peeling a fruit doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely so it's best to buy organic when it comes to apples.

Grapes

Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically.

Vineyards can be sprayed with 35 different pesticides during different growth periods during the season and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's permeable thin skin.

Peaches & Nectarines:

Peaches have the highest pesticide load. Nectarines are not far behind. Forty-five different pesticides are regularly applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards.

Strawberries & Cherries

Strawberry plantations average a dose of up to 500 pounds of pesticides per acre.

If you buy strawberries out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that use less-than-stringent regulations for pesticide use.

Vegetables:

Celery

Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the twenty-nine different chemicals that are used on conventional crops.

Lettuces

Leafy greens are frequently contaminated with the most potent pesticides used on food.

Potatoes

Potatoes rank highest for pesticide residue and it may also be tainted by fungicides added to the soil for growing.

Sweet Bell Peppers

Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides.

They are one of the most heavily sprayed vegetables out there and may be coated with nearly 40 commonly used pesticides meant to keep them insect-free.

Tomatoes

Their easily punctured skins are no match for chemicals that will eventually permeate the whole tomato.

Celery

According to the Environmental Working Group's 2006 report "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce," celery is among the 12 foods on which pesticide residues have been most frequently found. Therefore, individuals wanting to avoid pesticide-associated health risks may want to avoid consumption of celery unless it is grown organically.

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