"Pesticides are toxic. They are designed to kill things and most are not good for you"
By: Sam Griffith
We have been talking a lot about organic, non-organic, and grass fed in conjunction with our meat and protein consumption; the same caution needs to be given in the way that we purchase and view our fruits and vegetables. Pesticides are any substance, or mixture of substances, intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest. As declared by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), there are a few different types of pesticides that are used on food, which include:
Insecticides to control insects
Rodenticides to control rodents
herbicides to control weeds
Fungicides to control mold and fungus
antimicrobials to control bacteria
In this list of pesticides, the word "control" is really indicative of "kill". The EPA states that these pesticides are used to "protect" our food from pests, but the chemicals that are being applied in order to "protect" our food doesn't give consumers the same protection.
As we are immersing ourselves in the paleo lifestyle, fruits and vegetables are a primary source of clean nutrients and an absolute staple in our diet. It is very important to eat those fruits and vegetables, but we need to get them as clean as we can.
There is a list of what is call the "Clean 15" and the "Dirty 12" that is put out annually by the EGA (Environmental Working Group) which indicates the least contaminated and most contaminated by pesticides. So . . . which ones should I buy organic? If we are deciding between which produce is more important to invest in organic, the "Dirty 15" are the heavy hitters that would be worth the financial sacrifice. Buying organic is going to mitigate the pesticide residue as no pesticide or chemical fertilizer is used to grow the organic produce that is then shipped to grocers. Keep in mind, that is important to wash your produce regardless - that will significantly help eliminate some of the pesticide residual present.
It is estimated that we can reduce our pesticide exposure by 80% by buying organic on these 12 "Dirty" foods.
There is a lot of criticism about the tolerance levels the EPA and FDA allow for pesticides, which is not a far stretch from the leniency Leah talked about with the USDA and meat regulations. At the end of the day, the decision is up to us. We cannot put our trust and health in the hands of big corporations that are providing produce for the masses, adequate research and individual knowledge is the key to understanding what we are putting into our bodies, and our families.
As we would expect any chemical to be harmful, pesticides can significantly affect liver function, hormone system disorders, birth defects when consumed by their mothers, cancer, and many other diseases.
