The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen

 

Many have heard this term in regards to what we eat, but here is a quick explanation of what the dirty dozen means; what foods fall into this category and what you can do about it.

The dirty dozen refers to 12 common fruits and vegetables that many of us eat regularly. We often hear about pesticides being used on our fresh produce, and unfortunately some produce need higher doses than others. Fruits and vegetables are being continually tested for pesticide contamination and levels of pesticide exposure, the 12 fruits and vegetables listed below have been sample tested and proven to contain the highest levels of pesticide exposure and residue.

The “Dirty” Dozen Most contaminated: (8 fruits & 4 vegetables)

  1. Apples
  2. Peaches
  3. Nectarines
  4. Strawberries
  5. Grapes
  6. Raspberries
  7. Pears
  8. Cherries
  9. Spinach
  10. Celery
  11. Sweet Bell Peppers
  12. Potatoes
This does not mean that these 12 fruits and vegetables should be eliminated from your diets, they each provide an abundance of nutrition, but it does mean you need to take a little more precaution when preparing to eat them. Organic fruits and vegetables are grown in less toxic soil and are not exposed to pesticides. If you are able, it is always better to eat organic, especially the above 12 fruits and vegetables. If organic is not an option for you, you should be extra diligent in the washing of all fruits and vegetables but especially the above 12. There are mild soaps specially designed for the cleaning of produce, they can be found at most supermarkets.
The “Clean” Dozen Least Contaminated: (5 fruits & 7 vegetables)
  1. Pineapples
  2. Mangos
  3. Bananas
  4. Kiwi
  5. Papaya
  6. Sweet Corn
  7. Avocado
  8. Cauliflower
  9. Asparagus
  10. Onions
  11. Peas
  12. Broccoli
Fruits and vegetables should continue to be the main component of your daily diets, their nutritional benefits and healing properties are abundant. Include as many colours of fruits and vegetables for even better benefits, refer to Eat The Rainbow for more information.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, Michael Murray ND