Organic Nutrition: Organic Fruit
and Vegetables
 An
apple a day keeps the doctor away. That's a maxim many of us grew up
hearing. With organic nutrition being in the forefront of health news these
days, many of us are ready to change that old adage to 'an organic
apple a day keeps the doctor away.' According to the Environmental Working
Group (EWG), a watchdog group with its eye on pesticide use, apples are
on top of the heap for being heavily contaminated with pesticides. EWG have
come up with a wallet guide that includes the 12 most pesticide tainted
fruits and vegetables. The group calls them the dirty dozen and they include:
- Apples
- Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Cherries
- Imported Grapes
- Nectarines
- Pears
- Potatoes
- Raspberries
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Peaches
Samples have shown that apples carry up to 36 different pesticides. What's
more, they are not the dirtiest of the dozen — peaches have earned that
ranking, with samples showing combinations of up to 45 different pesticides.
The EWG claims that by avoiding these foods, you'll lower exposures to
harmful pesticides by 90 percent. Washing an apple is no longer a guarantee
of removing pesticide residues either, as many of these pesticides have
worked their way into the fruit. So, what's a McIntosh lover to do? Although
organic nutrition means extra cost, it looks like apple eaters will either
want to go organic, or go without.
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