The Foods That Are Most Affected by Pesticides

By now most of us know that buying organic is absolutely essential if we want to put the best food possible into our bodies. It is just plain and simply better for our health and better for the environment, which are inextricably linked anyway.s

Study after study show that organic food has a higher nutritional content than conventionally raised food. A study published in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, for example, found that organic foods are more likely to help you fight cancer. And another study found that rats that ate organic food had far better health compared to rats on non organic food, including:

* Improved immune system

* Better sleeping habits

* Less weight and were slimmer than rats fed other diets

* Higher vitamin E content in their blood (for organically fed rats)

But then there is the common argument that organic food is more expensive. Of course to me the best investment that any of us can possibly make is in our health and wellbeing since without our health we can't optimally do all of the other things that we want to do in our life. Who cares about a financial investment in the stock market if you won't feel good enough to enjoy it?

Okay, but I will be realistic for a minute. Sometimes organic food is just crazy expensive, and to buy every single item organic is just not possible. Fortunately, new studies show that some foods are less affected by pesticides and herbicides than others.

The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual health. They currently tested 43 different fruits and vegetables, and found that these 12 carried the least amount of pesticides when grown conventionally.

* Broccoli

* Eggplant

* Cabbage

* Banana

* Kiwi

* Asparagus

* Sweet peas (frozen)

* Mango

* Pineapple

* Sweet corn (frozen)

* Avocado

* Onion

Of the 43 different fruits and vegetables tested, the following 12 carried the highest amount of pesticides when grown conventionally, and are therefore the most important to buy organic.

* Peaches

* Apples

* Sweet bell peppers

* Celery

* Nectarines

* Strawberries

* Cherries

* Lettuce

* Grapes (imported)

* Pears

* Spinach

* Potatoes

So there you have it... if you aren't going to go 100% organic so that you can save a few pennies, you now know which fruits and vegetables to make absolute sure are organic, and which ones you can save a little on when necessary.