Facts about Fruits & Veggies

During Steinman’s research, he found out what chemicals are applied to market produce.

Photo by: cosmichealth.net

Fact #1: Wax, which contain fungicides, pesticides, carcinogens, and neurotoxins, are applied on fruits and vegetables to enhance color and preserve them. Special mild detergent are developed to help remove them.

Fact #2: Federal law requires that supermarkets disclose the presence of wax on any produce at the time of purchase.

Fact #3: If wax is not present, then fungicides are.

Fact #4: Citrus crops are fumigated after harvest. Benomyl, a post-harvest pesticide, is an animal carcinogen. Another, ortho-phenylphenol, is known to depress the immune system.

Fact #5: Dried fruits and nuts are fumigated to control beetles, flies, moths, and worms. Methyl bromide, a possible carcinogen, is applied to all chemically grown nuts and dried fruits.

Fact #6: Wild European mushrooms have excess radiation as a result of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster as well as imported apple juice concentrate. Look for apple juice made from organically grown U.S. apples.

The big debate is whether organic is healthier for you or not. Dr. David Katz, an associate clinical professor of public health and medicine at Yale University, explains “In general, we know that the more fruits and vegetables people eat – organic or not – the healthier they tend to be. Thus the adverse health effects of such chemicals are more than offset by the benefits of eating produce. Put another way, not eating fruits and vegetables is more toxic than eating fruits and vegetables with some traces of pesticide.

Dr. Philip Landrigan, professor and chairman of the department of community and preventative medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, stated “The evidence is strong – and validated by the National Academy of Sciences – that pesticide levels in conventionally grown foods can pose a threat to human health, especially to the health of infants and children.”

Their advice? Organic food for the younger ones is a good choice. As for adults, it’s your choice. According to Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s associate professor  Keith-Thomas Ayoob, “the mountain of studies that have extolled the virtue of eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables – a lower risk of many cancers and heart disease for example – were done by looking at conventionally grown foods, not organic.”

I am striving to buy organic to avoid the chemicals, pesticides, and additives used. Plus organic farming practices contribute to reducing pollution and conserving water and soil quality. Robyn Flipse, a registered dietitian with Nutrition Communication Services, advises shoppers to be smart and ask whether certain organic products are really worth it.

Childs, Dan. “Are Organic Foods Better for You?.”abcNEWS. abc NEWS Medical Unit, 11 26 2006. Web. 18 Jan 2012. <http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2687094&page=1

Steinman, David. Diet for A Poisoned Planet How to Choose Safe Foods for You and Your Family. New York: Ballantine Books, 1990. Print.