Why You Should Eat Organic Food; A Look at the Fruits & Vegetables with the Most Pesticides
If you have been considering purchasing organic foods but have reservations about the benefits vs. the cost, here are several compelling reasons you should eat organic food. First and foremost, it is much healthier for you, not covered with pesticides like conventional produce. Though research has not been finalized on the potential health risks that consuming foods treated with pesticides may present, the one thing we are certain of is that they are not healthy for human consumption. Second, it is better for the environment; the soil is healthier, water cleaner and it helps to protect wildlife. Buying organic fruits and vegetables also helps to support smaller farmers allowing them to earn a fairer price for organic produce compared to factory farming. In addition, it cuts down on genetically altered production of fruits and veggies.
Organic farming has also resurrected many different types of produce that have not been widely produced due to big farmers' mass production and profits thus giving biodiversity to foods (most foods are genetically modified).
Here is a general guideline of the fruits and vegetables with the most, and the least pesticides:
Produce containing a very high ratio of pesticides.
Nectarines - 97.3%
Celery - 94.5%
Pears - 94.4%
Peaches - 93.7%
Apples - 91%
Cherries - 91%
Strawberries - 90%
Grapes (Imported) - 86%
Spinach - 83.4%
Potatoes - 79.3%
Bell Peppers - 68%.
Red Raspberries - 59%
Things are not necessarily as bad as they may seem after reading that list of commonly bought and consumed fruits and vegetables. Thorough washing prior to consuming can remove a good amount of the poisonous pesticides however, there will always remain a much higher than recommended amount of pesticides on the produce, regardless of how much or how well it is washed. There is also a good variety of fruits and vegetables available in your local store that are low on pesticide content, although organically grown foods are still much more preferable; the following list should be of assistance:
Produce that can be purchased at your local supermarket containing the least amount of pesticides.
Asparagus
Avocados
Bananas
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn
Kiwi
Mangoes
Onions
Papaya
Pineapples
Sweet Peas
Once you have decided to eat organic food and enjoy the benefits it offers over conventional produce you will undoubtedly want to keep it as fresh as possible. The most effective way to keep organic foods fresh is called eggstrafresh. It helps to provide increased freshnessof all of your organic and conventional foods, including fruit, vegetables, meat, milk, dairy, even bread for as much as 3-5 times longer, saving you hundreds of dollars per year. eggstrafresh is environmentally safe and does not release any gases or odors, it simply keeps your food fresh longer. Visit http://www.eggstrafresh.com to learn more about this incredible little device.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
organic food?
if organic food is grown without any pesticides how do they keep the insects away?
why is it more expensive if they are saving money on chemicals and such?
do we need to wash it more and watch out for buggies??-
ANSWER:
Organic farmers use a lot of different ways to keep pests away. There is companion planting which means you plant crops with other plants that are known to have qualities that keep the pests away, like nasturtiums and onions. Farmers may encourage or introduce beneficial organisms like certain kinds of spiders or insects that aren't harmful to the crops but will devour any pests that they come across. Many farmers use crop rotation, crop selection and animal manures. Some use traps and crop cover while some will even let animals like chickens roam in their gardens to keep pests down. On a smaller scale there is always the tried and true "walk through and pick the bugs off" method. Many simply allow for a certain amount of pest damage regardless of the methods they use. Keep in mind that most organic growers will use a combination of many of these methods on their crops.These methods are more time consuming and often more expensive than just spraying crops down so it tends to add some to the price. Also there are far fewer organic farmers than there are chemical using farms so there is often a longer transit time to account for which adds to the price.
The upside is that organic produce DOESN'T need as much prep as non-organic since you're not trying to scrub off the pesticide and chemical fertilizer residue, a task which often requires peeling resulting in taking off all the nutrients held in and just under the peel. Organic veggies and fruits are pretty much wash and go. I use almost exclusively organic produce (and have for years) if it's something I'm not growing in my own garden and I've not noticed any buggies in them! Organic produce also isn't subjected to irradiation or genetic modifying, some folks appreciate that aspect too.
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QUESTION:
Organic food?
I buy organic food all the time, it's pricey but I'd rather eat organic food. My question is why do we have to pay for organic food ? Shouldn't everyone be able to eat organic ?-
ANSWER:
Unfortunately it's a situation of supply and demand. At the moment the demand is higher than the supply and until it catches up, it's going to cost more. Keep buying and get everyone else to buy and it will encourage farmers to convert to organics and the prices will drop.
I've been buying my fruit and veg from Macro (Australia). The prices can be reasonable. And I've been ordering all my cosmetics and toiletries online through www.envirobeauty.com Prices are reasonable and I don't have to pay postage.
Hope this helps.
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QUESTION:
Organic Food?
I know organic food is free from pesticides, herbacides, and unnatural fertilizers, but what about all the pollution it gets when it rains? Is anything grown outside truly organic?-
ANSWER:
~*~ Great thought. I guess that the only completely organic food would have to be grown in a greenhouse hydroponicly or in sterilized dirt.
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QUESTION:
oRGANIC FOOD???
IS ORGANIC FOOD BETTER FOR YOU, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BEWTWEEN ORGANIC FOOD AND THE REGULAR FOODS, BESIDES THE PERSERVATIVES???????????????-
ANSWER:
How does growing and eating certified organic food help?Certified organic food is grown without the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, plant and animal growth regulators (hormones), antibiotics and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This can significantly contribute to increasing the health of our air,soil and water not to mention that of the plants and animals we eat!
Also, by choosing to buy and eat organic food, you are helping to create alternative markets for our farmers- an opportunity to move away from global markets dominated by transnational corporations and back to more local markets where they can once again provide healthy food to members of their communities.
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QUESTION:
*.*.*.*.*ORGANiC *.*.*.*.FooD.*.*.*.?
Ok I really need to know a few details about organic Food.1, Who started organic food
2, Are there any brands of organic food - I live in Australia so preferably brands that are world known or Australian
3,Reason for starting organic food / reason for trend.
Please and Thankyou
pinko0omonkey
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ANSWER:
Go to the library you will find heaps of info in books and a lot of it is just commonsense they also sell organics at local markets on a Saturday like at willunga markets etc and I think the brick works have an organic stall as well if you want to grow organics don't use any chemicals and pull weeds out by hand,get some chooks to use there poo to fertilise and if you have the room rotate your chook yard with your veggie garden it works really well if you go to your local health shop they can give you heaps of info and there is a magazine that comes out you get it from the newsagent and its all about natural way to grow every thing can't remember the name of it but I think the writers are from Boron Bay and its thin and in black and white ink.
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