Easy Way To Remove Pesticides From Your Fruits And Vegetables
Easy Way To Remove Pesticides From Your Fruits And Vegetables
We all know that it is important to try to eat a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables every day. One of the biggest controversies when buying fresh produce is whether or not to buy organic. What many people don’t know is that much of the produce we eat is treated with chemicals including pesticides. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture looked at produce samples and found that 65% of the samples tested positive for pesticides.
The Environmental Working Group is an organization that strives to provide accurate information about the chemicals in foods and health and beauty products to ensure that consumers have accurate information to make informed choices. The EWG petitions regularly against chemicals that may have negative effects on our health and environment
Every year the EWG updates its list of the most and least chemically treated fruits and vegetables and provides this information to consumers. In 2015, the top highly chemically treated produce (referred to as ‘The Dirty Dozen+’) includes: apples, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, snap peas, spinach, strawberries, and sweet bell peppers. Hot peppers and kale and collard greens also made the list of produce high in pesticides.
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Let’s face it, it isn’t always economical to buy organic produce. There is often a significant price difference between conventional and organic products, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables. While it is a good idea to buy organic fruits and vegetables whenever feasible, it is also important to remember to wash conventional fruits and vegetables to try to remove some of the pesticide residues. One of the simple home remedies for washing produce is using white vinegar.
Experts agree that white vinegar can be more effective than commercial spray bottle products aimed at washing fruits and vegetables. The general consensus is to use 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts of water mixed in a spray bottle. Spraying the produce with the vinegar mixture, and even giving it an extra scrub with a scrub brush before rinsing with clear water can help to clean produce when there are concerns of pesticides.
Disease states are on the rise, and advanced research continues to link various chemicals to chronic health conditions. Pesticides have been linked to learning disabilities and even cancer. Knowing this, it is important to work to reduce our overall toxic load of chemicals for our bodies. While there is little doubt that buying organic is the best bet for our health when this isn’t possible or feasible it is important to thoroughly wash produce to minimize the level of pesticides. White vinegar is an easy, economical option for cleaning fruits and vegetables to support healthy bodies.