We know, we know...buying organic sounds like the right thing to do, but it can be expensive. It may be a struggle to find organic options at your local grocery store and you may not know what produce is most worth the extra money. If you are only going to eat ONE organic item, make it apples, and here's why.
According to the Environmental Working Group's annually released “Dirty Dozen" list, apples are the dirtiest produce out there, with the highest amount of pesticide residue. The average conventionally grown apple has more pesticide residue than any other fruit or vegetable, with up to48 different types of pesticides. Strawberries and grapes are runner-ups for worst offenders, with 13 and 15 different pesticides respectively, while avocados are the cleanest produce item, with only 1 percent detectable pesticides.
So why do apples have so many pesticides? Fungus, bacteria, and insects all threaten apple crops, prompting farmers to spray chemicals on their orchards. The long term effect of pesticides are still being determined, but some have been potentially been linked to Parkinson's disease. And if you think the simplest solution is to just to remove the peel, stop right there. The peels of apples have most of the fruit's nutritional benefits (fiber and vitamins), so peeling away the skin from the fruit strips away most of its good stuff.
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