Organic Foods and Chronic Disease

   For those who read this column on a regular basis, this month’s topic is not new.  But it is important. In fact, so many of my patients are asking questions about the effect of chemicals on their overall health, that I thought it important to cover this topic once again.  Today’s article will help you to fit organic produce into your budget and explain how pesticides effect your health.
When to Choose Organic
   Most of us understand that organic produce is the best choice, but some struggle with the impact of an all-organic diet on their monthly budget.  That’s where the Environmental Working Group’s “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce” comes in.
   There are certain fruits and vegetables that carry a higher load of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides, while others have lower levels of toxic residues. The guide ranks 48 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of 34,000 samples tested by the US Department of Agriculture and the federal Food and Drug Administration.  (The USDA doesn’t test every food every year, so the EWG uses the most recent sampling period for each food.)
   The goal of this list is to help people eat healthier and reduce their exposure to pesticides. To learn more about the Environmental Working Group, visit their website at www.ewg.org.
   Two popular sub-sets of the overall guide ...

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