dirty-and-clean-foods

    Without knowing it, you may be taking home a highly contaminated fruit or, quite the opposite, without a trace of pesticides. And both bought in the same supermarket. Because? How to know how to choose? An expert tells us.

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What is meant by dirty and clean food? “The list of ‘contaminated/dirty’ foods and ‘clean’ foods is based on an analysis by the United States Department of Agriculture of 32,000 samples from 48 different fruits and vegetables”, says Alejandra Fraile, health coach and author of the blog yomemimo.com

. psst. Although we will talk about them, you can find the complete list of foods “dirty dozen & clean fifteen” in the web The Environment Working Groupa non-profit organization dedicated to improving people’s health and living in a better environment.

What kind of harmful substances can the fruits and vegetables we eat contain and what effect can they have on health? As Friar explains, “dirty foods are the most contaminated with pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals”. And among the health effects, this expert points out “damage to our nervous, reproductive and immune systems, malformations at birth, muscle and joint pain and headaches, tirednessallergies and even cancer.

Is there a way to clean fruits and vegetables before consuming them? Can we wash them with some product or remove the skin? “The simple fact of washing them with cold water already helps something”says the author of Yomemimo.com. Other more effective options, according to this expert, are: “wash in a mixture of cold water and vinegar (10% white vinegar with 90% water) or in a mixture of water with 2% bicarbonate (rinse well and let the mixture sit for about 5-10 minutes) and brush with a vegetable/fruit brush.”

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How much does the ecological protect us?

Does eating organic avoid this problem? “Totally -says this health coach-, although the demand must grow so that this outlay is within the reach of all pockets”. Although, as Fraile says, “What really should worry us and question us is why foods that are so harmful to our health are so cheap: if where you buy the fruit and vegetables does not have the organic certification, I can guarantee that we do not get rid of products that contain chemicals”. So is everything we buy in the supermarket contaminated? “The EWG list is very useful because, for example, the avocado, thanks to its thick skin, is freer than pesticides enter the food so freely”, points out Fraile. psst. If you usually do your shopping in normal supermarkets, we advise you to take a good look at the EWG list to find out which fruits and vegetables you can choose more calmly and, perhaps, consider buying the organic version of the most contaminated ones.

Among the dirtiest fruits and vegetables on the EWG list are, in order, apples, apricots, nectarines, strawberries, grapes, celery, spinachpeppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, fresh peas or potatoes.

And among the cleanest, avocados, corn on the cob, pineapple, cabbage, frozen peasonions, asparagus, mango, papaya, kiwi, eggplant, melon, grapefruit, cauliflower or sweet potatoes.

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