Should I worry about pesticides in my fruits and vegetables?

Can you get a rash from snacking on a peach?  Hay fever from the tomatoes in your salad? Reduced attention span and coordination from eating strawberries?  The surprising answer is yes!

Many of the fruits and vegetables we have grown to love are treated with pesticides to encourage larger crop growth and keep bugs away.  The effect? A Bombshell Bride’s diet full of healthy fruits and vegetables might be compromised by these chemicals.

From 2000-2005, the USDA and FDA analyzed nearly 51,000 food samples for detectable pesticides. These foods were tested just as if we were about to consume them. For example, apples were washed and bananas were peeled.  The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit research organization, gathered results from these tests and began an awareness campaign based on the top 12 most pesticide laden foods called the Dirty Dozen. If you have allergies related specifically to these foods, the pesticides could be the culprit.

RANK	FRUIT OR VEGGIE	SCORE
1 (worst)	Peaches	100 (highest pesticide load)
2	Apples	96
3	Sweet Bell Peppers	86
4	Celery	85
5	Nectarines	84
6	Strawberries	83
7	Cherries	75
8	Lettuce	69
9	Grapes – Imported	68
10	Pears	65
11	Spinach	60
12	Potatoes	58

To see where your favorite fruit or vegetable places in the list of 43 tested, visit www.foodnews.org.

What can YOU do to reduce the risk of pesticides in your Bombshell Bride diet?

1. Thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables
Use cold or warm water and a scrub brush on those with harder skins

2. Buy produce in season and in your area
These foods are less likely to have been treated with chemicals which prevent spoiling during shipping

3. Start a vegetable garden
Control your fruits and veges from their beginnings. A great hobby for the Green Thumb gals.

4. Buy Certified Organic
Eating fruits and vegetables grown with less or no synthetic chemicals help reduce the pesticide residue.

5. Peel the skin or rind
This helps reduce the pesticides on the surface but be aware the skin of some foods have the most nutritious value.

6. Cook fruits and vegetables
Cooking can break down some heat sensitive pesticide residue. Beware of overcooking which significantly reduces the amount of nutrients

7. Vary the types of fruits and veges
Stuck on the apple a day? Switch up the types of foods you eat to reduce your exposure to chemicals since specific pesticides are used on specific crops.

1. Rosenstock L, Keifer M, Daniell W, et al. Chronic central nervous system effects of acute organophosphate intoxication. The Lancet 1991; 338:223-227. http://www.nrdc.org/health/kids/farm/chap1.asp

2. U.S Environmental Protection Agency. Pesticides and Food: Health Problems Pesticides May Pose. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/risks.htm