Buying Organic Is Important For More Than Just The Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen, i.e. the foods that the Environmental Working Group cautions to always buy organic because of high pesticide residues, is a great place to start when buying organic, but not to end. There are many foods that don’t make the cut that really should due to high pesticide levels or the probability of being genetically modified, so here are the top 10 to look out for.
10 Foods To Buy Organic
Bananas Can Contain Some Toxins From Soil
The toxins used to grow conventional bananas are not just on the outside. They leach into the soil where the fruit is grown, so even when the fruit is peeled, you’re still ingesting some of them. Here are a bunch of other reasons.
Coffee Has A Very High Pesticide Exposure
Coffee is the third most sprayed agricultural crop in the world behind cotton and tobacco – and we don’t eat them. That makes it numero uno of the foods we eat with the highest pesticide exposure.
Papaya Is Frequently Genetically Modified
This fruit is on the EWG’s list of “clean fifteen” but we still always buy it organic. That’s because 75 percent of the 30 million pounds of papaya produced in Hawaii is genetically modified. Here are all the reasons we steer clear of GMO foods.
Soy Is Almost Always A GMO
If you eat tofu, edamame or tempeh, be aware that almost all (94 percent) of the soybeans sold in the United States are genetically modified.
Corn Is A Popular Product That You Should Look For Organically
Ninety percent of corn sold is genetically modified and most often it appears in corn-based sweeteners and oils. Avoid any products that contain corn that are not certified organic.
Squash (Particularly Zucchini and Summer Squash)
Specifically, buy organic zucchini and yellow summer squash. There are two genetically modified varieties of this kind of squash currently being sold in the U.S. and Canada.
Sugar Can Come From Genetically Modified Sugar Beets
Much of our sugar comes from genetically modified sugar beets and even big candy companies are giving this sugar the heave-ho.
Wine (Grapes Are On the Dirty Produce List)
Wine is made from grapes, and grapes are number 5 on the EWG’s list of dirty produce. Grapes contain an average of 5 pesticide residues and more than 96 percent of those tested came back positive.
Dairy Often Comes From Cows Treated With rBGH
Milk from cows treated with rBGH, a genetically modified bovine growth hormone, has higher levels of IGF-1, a hormone that helps cells grow. Research shows high levels of IGF- 1 influence the development of certain cancers. The American Cancer Society suggests people stay away.
Meat Can Contain Hormones, Antibiotics & Pesticides
Not only does conventional meat contain hormones and antibiotics but also pesticides. How? The pesticides come from the synthetic fertilizers and herbicides used on the animals’ feed.
