Purchase Organic Produce?

It varies. It makes more sense to many to selectively buy organic. This is because, simply put, some produce absorbs more chemicals than others.

Testing conducted in the lab by the United States Department of Agriculture shows that even when washed, certain fruits and vegetables will still have a high levels of pesticides. The fruits and vegetables that you definitely want to purchase organic are: apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries. Asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangoes, onions, papaya, pineapples and sweet peas are some of the items that have low concentrations.

When you can purchase organic produce you support the efforts of those who are trying to help the environment by not using chemicals that pollute the soil or water. However when hard economic times hit, there may be less opportunity to spend more money on organic foods. Because many people believe organic to be healthier, they will buy this to limit the ingestion of chemicals that could be potentially dangerous.

The information you will find on the harmful effects of certain chemicals can be confusing to say the least. We know from studies that pesticides and chemicals can build up in our bodies over time, but what we don't know is what effect this will have in the long run. With new laws now in effect many former pesticides have been taken off the market or banned, setting higher standards for safety.

Toxic chemicals are especially damaging to children with developing immune, central-nervous, and hormonal systems. While scientists used to believe otherwise, 2005 research has confirmed that a mother can pass pesticides to her baby in vitro. A collection of the umbilical-cord blood of children, tested for pollutants by the Red Cross, showed that 21 pesticides had crossed the placenta. This leads to the idea that pregnant women and children should try to eat more organic foods thus avoiding some of the chemical exposure.

Considering the current statistics, then, it appears to be especially smart for children and pregnant women to hold down the amount of chemicals ingested by going organic. There are countries that are far worse, Mexico for example. Mexico has been known to use chemicals banned in America and sewage water to irrigate crops. When you purchase conventional or non-organic produce, it would be wise to find fruits and vegetables from the United States. The fact is, conventional or organic products are more likely to be fresher and better, the closer to you they are grown. When you buy from farmer's markets, you not only save on organic produce but you support local farmers. Farmers' market exclusively feature in-season produce, which is almost always fresher and tastier.

Research has also shown that besides having less chemicals, there are more nutrients and antioxidants found in organic produce. A European Union study, the biggest study of its kind, done in 2007 showed that antioxidants were 40% higher in organic produce than they were in conventional. Scientists think this happens because organic plants have to work harder to naturally defend themselves, which results in more antioxidants being produced in these plants for this purpose.

Every person has to choose whether or not to eat organic. This would be a great idea for pregnant women and children. It makes more sense to buy organic produce from a local farmer's market whenever you can, especially the ones that are most easiest to contaminate. And when you cannot purchase organic items, you can still cut back on your consumption of chemicals by avoiding produce that comes from countries that have lower standards for food production.