Skip to main content

Family Nutrition: Deciding about the “Dirty Dozen”

Earlier this week the Environmental Working Group (EWG) published their latest list of the dirty dozen and the clean fifteen.  The list specifies which fruits and vegetables have the most (dirty dozen) and least (clean fifteen) pesticides.  Data was collected from 2000-2009 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food Drug Administration (FDA) ranking product on six factors which tell us how many pesticides are in the fruits and vegetable we consume and are recommended to consume daily.  I thought it was interesting when I read that most samples are even washed and peeled prior to testing.

There are many thoughts that pesticides are dangerous to humans and can cause neurological damage, ADHD, Cancer, and also disrupt the endocrine system.  I searched for specific research on the subject matter and had a hard time finding something concrete, however many suggest that more studies need to be completed with strong hypothesis’ explaining why.

It is suggested that people buy organic forms of the dirty dozen as they are considered to be the most toxic from a pesticide standpoint. Organic products do not utilize pesticides and if you need a refresher on organic products read my Organic blog from 2/17/2011 for a reminder.  Do you find organic are too expensive?  Look into growing some of the dirty dozen in your own garden.

Multiple physicians have stated that pregnant women and children under 6 have the biggest health risks with pesticides.  I have two toddlers myself, and although the research isn’t concrete yet, I’m not willing to take the risk.  Utilize this reference when shopping for your fruits and veggies and look out for the Droid and Iphone apps that will be coming soon.


Dirty Dozen
Clean Fifteen
1. apples
1. onions
2.  celery
2.  corn
3. strawberries
3. pineapples
4. peaches
4. avacodo
5. spinach
5. asparagus
6. nectarines (imported)
6.  sweet peas
7.  grapes (imported)
7.  mangoes
8. sweet bell peppers
8.  eggplant
9.  potatoes
9.  cantaloupe (domestic
10.  blueberries
10.  kiwi
11.  lettuce
11.  cabbage
12.  kale/collard greens
12.  watermelon

13.  sweet potatoes

14.  grapefruit

15.  mushrooms
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Food Trends: A note about Stevia (zero calorie sugar substitute)

We’re all on the lookout for that sugar substitute that withholds calories, tastes good, and is natural and safe.   Recently I was asked what my thoughts were on Stevia?   Well to tell you the truth I didn’t have many thoughts on the product because basically I didn’t know much about it, except that in my mind it was a zero calorie product that could be substituted for table sugar.   I put this thought in my attic with the hopes of getting more acquainted at a later time. As I get myself more familiar lets start with the derivation.   Stevia is an herb that comes from South America and has been used by the Guarani Indians of Paraguay for over 100 years.   This is advertised on the Stevia website along with a statement that it provides zero calories because the body doesn’t metabolize glycosides from the leaf or processed forms.   Essentially Stevia is absorbed by the gut and broken down into Stevol which is excreted from the body as a waste.   Th...
5 comments
Read more

Miraculous Misconceptions: Raspberry Ketones

The interwebs are abuzz about the supposedly “miraculous” Raspberry Ketone supplements. Raspberry Ketone popularity started with Dr. Oz's show in February 2012, when he nicknamed it a “miracle weight loss drug.” Some even credit Raspberry Ketones with stimulating hair growth, but for our purposes here, let’s talk about weight loss. Raspberry Ketones are derived from red raspberries. Proponents claim that the supplement will stimulate your metabolism causing weight loss. However, there are no reliable studies to prove this.   Specifically there is no scientific evidence to show how it alters metabolism to promote weight loss. There is also no scientific evidence to determine a proper dosage. If you find a study that claims otherwise, check the funding source. Most likely, that study was funded by a company who produces or funds raspberry ketone products. As far as I know, no major pharmaceutical companies are investing in Raspberry Ketone research. And it is my opinion ...
9 comments
Read more

Family Nutrition: What’s the deal with Multivitamins?

This is definitely one of my top ten questions from clients and frankly it’s a hard question because there isn’t a generic answer.   The internet and such stores as the Vitamin Shoppe and GNC continue to place a lot of focus on vitamins and minerals and some of my clients swear by their regimen.   I’ve even had some clients tell me they can tell a difference within hours of taking certain supplementations.    Since this is a subject I try to tame my responses too, I was very glad to see the article “Multivitamins, So Many Types, So Many Labels” by Melinda Beck in the Wall Street Journal published June 21, 2001.   Did you know that the multivitamin is the number one dietary supplement producing $4.8 billion back in 2008 and that one third of American’s take multivitamins religiously?   As Melinda points out there are many different varieties of multivitamins yet there is no specific formulation that specifies what a multivitamin should look like.  ...
4 comments
Read more