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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – It’s mid-summer and the supermarkets and farm stands are bursting with seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables. Should you bring home strawberries, peaches and tomatoes? Aren’t they all on that annual list of fruits and vegetables with high pesticide residues?
Nine out of 10 Americans do not eat enough fruits and vegetables each day. And in the midst of a viral pandemic, when fruits and vegetables boost our healthy immune response, shouldn’t we be buying more, not less, of these important choices? Yet, many people avoid certain foods because they are influenced by the annual Dirty Dozen list put together annually by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The 2020 list includes strawberries (which have held the top spot for over 5 years), spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery and potatoes. Sadly, the Dirty Dozen includes most of the popular fruits and vegetables we eat.
The Environmental Working Group recommends avoiding the Dirty Dozen altogether and switching instead to organic produce. Experts in both Canada and US disagree with this EWG recommendation and challenge the methodology behind how the list is compiled. According to CropLife Canada, Canadians would need to spend 50% more, on average, if they choose to buy fruits and vegetables grown without pesticides. According to statistics released by the USDA in December of 2019, on food that is tested annually, 99% of food had residues well below the safety tolerance levels set by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and almost half of the food had no detectable pesticide residues at all.
Toxicologists around the world agree that the mere presence of pesticide residues does not mean they pose a health risk. Residues are measured in parts per million (ppm) or parts per billion (ppb), like one blade of grass on the lawn. Plus, according to the FDA, washing produce under running tap water can reduce and often eliminate pesticide residues, if they are present at all.
What may surprise many is that there are over 20 chemicals commonly approved for use on organic crops. Organic produce, as well as conventional produce, may have some residue present. In a well regarded paper, in the Journal of Toxicology, the authors point out that the detections limits for pesticide residue are so sensitive today that they can detect residues far below any concern for toxicity. The EPA has developed a measure for pesticides called the minimum reference dose (RFD), the amount you could ingest daily for the rest of your life without any ill effects.
To demonstrate how much produce you can consume safely, check out the Pesticide Residue Calculator. A woman could eat 850 apples every day before she consumed a significant amount of pesticide. A man could eat 1,325 cherry tomatoes daily without ill effects. A teen could have 538 serving of grapes each day and a child could have 181 serving of strawberries.
Since strawberries are on the Dirty Dozen, this seems like an absurd caution about an otherwise healthy food. Decades of research and numerous studies show that eating more fruits and vegetables – both organic and conventionally grown – improves health and reduces the risk for chronic disease and premature death. In today’s unprecedented time where we have little control over COVID-19 sweeping across the US, we do have control over what we eat. Good nutrition has never been more important. Fear-based messages about the dangers of healthy fruits and vegetables are counterproductive in an already anxiety-ridden time, especially when our fears do not match the facts. Eating more nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables has been suggested to promote a healthy immune system. Now more than ever an apple a day may actually keep the doctor away.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of 30 books.
Available as eBooks from iTunes and Kindle/Amazon:
Diabetes Counter – the most up-to-date information on managing diabetes
Calorie Counter – a weight loss guide that won’t let you down
Protein Counter – put the latest protein recommendations to work for you
Healthy Wholefoods Counter – planet-friendly eating made easy
Complete Food Counter – food counts and nutrition information at your fingertips
Fat and Cholesterol Counter – newest approach to heart-healthy eating
Available in print from Gallery Books:
Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd Ed.
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com or on twitter: @JoAnnHeslinRD.