Pesticides in Produce - How to Minimize Your Exposure to Dangerous Chemicals

Should you care about pesticides and other harmful toxins in your food? In one sense, yes and in another sense, no.

There are small amounts of many naturally occurring toxins that you’re exposed to regularly. They’re even found in healthy and organically grown foods. But because your body is wonderfully made, it is capable of handling the toxins. Your liver, kidneys and lymphatic system all play important roles in body cleansing. Your body is able to break down internal metabolic wastes and other naturally occurring toxins and carcinogens.

But what about all those dangerous pesticides and herbicides used in modern agriculture?  The latest research seems to say that to avoid the greatest levels of toxins in food, you have to minimize your intake of animal products, not fruits and vegetables. Begin by making foods like milk, cheese, beef, chicken, fish, etc. a small part of your diet. High concentrations of carcinogenic chemicals, like dioxin, are found in animal feed.  Also, the animals raised in farms (factory farms are especially bad) eat large amounts of this chemically tainted feed.

According to data in The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell, some of the most dangerous chemicals are the natural proteins from animal foods. The research has showed that proteins like casein (cow milk protein), leads to a change in the body environment, which in turn allows for the easy formation and growth of cancer.

So what about all the pesticide residue on your produce? Logically, there still must be some risks in consuming produce with pesticides, herbicides, and other toxins present. To say otherwise would seem to violate basic natural laws. To be safe, you should wash all produce thoroughly regardless if it’s organic. Our family does our best to avoid eating non-organically grown foods with the highest toxicity. Washing and peeling can reduce your exposure to some toxins but doesn’t eliminate them altogether.

According to the Environmental Working Group:

“An EWG simulation of thousands of consumers eating high and low pesticide diets shows that people can lower their pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent by avoiding the top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead. Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to about 14 pesticides per day, on average. Eating the 12 least contaminated will expose a person to less than 2 pesticides per day. Less dramatic comparisons will produce less dramatic reductions, but without doubt using the Guide provides people with a way to make choices that lower pesticide exposure in the diet.”

Here is a handy chart you can print and keep handy for quick reference:

For those who want a more extensive chart of produce, check out this one (also from the Environmental Working Group):

Pesticide Levels in Produce (ranking from worst to best)

Remember that superior health starts with a foundation of a whole-food plant-based diet. By simply doing this you will greatly reduce your exposure to high concentrations of carcinogenic chemicals.