Pesticides in produce - are nonorganic fruits and vegetables worthwhile?
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professionalHobbyist wrote: »People have wildly varied opinions based on limited information
DDT was supposed to be safe. The same govt tells us all these pesticides are safe.
Thalidomide was supposed to be safe. The govt told us so. There was a generation of babies born with birth defects.
Smoking was actually touted as healthy at one time!!
I try to avoid poisons when I can.
I don't know for sure how safe they are or are not. But if I consume as little as possible I feel better about my chances!
It is a personal choice.
as far as pesticides go, DDT is not that toxic to us. It just has that nasty little problem of degrading to DDE then sticking around to play with your grandkids.
Its invention and use has saved millions around the world though...0 -
I buy organic if its on sale for cheaper or close to the regular stuff in price. Otherwise I grow some organic veggies in pots on my front porch and I try to go for bulk grass-fed/pastured meats.
I don't think organic has no value to it but it is expensive. I'd say do what you can do. Cleaning up your diet a bit is never a bad thing but don't do it at the expense of livelihood.
This doesn't answer any of the questions in the OP.
OP, I agree with the others. I eat all the produce, and don't give the pesticides a second thought.0 -
If I buy veg/fruit and I can afford it I buy organic. Not just for the sprays that are allowed/not allowed but over here (UK) organic also has animal welfare stipulations. Is it the same in the US?
Can you grow some stuff outside OP? You only need poo and washing up liquid then
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I buy organic produce not soo much for the pesticides, "organic is not 100% pesticide free" but more for the taste. Once you have cleaned your diet off processed foods your tastebuds are more sensitive to sugar, sodium etc... To me organic produce, meat just taste better! For the expense, we go meatless during the week and enjoy meat over the weekends.0
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I buy organic produce not soo much for the pesticides, "organic is not 100% pesticide free" but more for the taste. Once you have cleaned your diet off processed foods your tastebuds are more sensitive to sugar, sodium etc... To me organic produce, meat just taste better! For the expense, we go meatless during the week and enjoy meat over the weekends.
Agreed with this. Organic food does typically come from a different farm as non-organic, so you get different results. Sometimes the organic food just looks better and in better shape. If this is the case, I'll spend a little more money and enjoy it.
Sometimes though, the opposite is true. It's kind of nice to have options, though.0 -
my question is do you think the nutrients of fruits and vegetables are worthwhile despite the pesticides?
I'd say do what you can do. Cleaning up your diet a bit is never a bad thing but don't do it at the expense of livelihood.
So how did I not answer the question?0 -
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I buy organic produce not soo much for the pesticides, "organic is not 100% pesticide free" but more for the taste. Once you have cleaned your diet off processed foods your tastebuds are more sensitive to sugar, sodium etc... To me organic produce, meat just taste better! For the expense, we go meatless during the week and enjoy meat over the weekends.
Protip: Organic foods are processed foods too. Most every food you get it processed unless it came right off the vine/carcass.0 -
GroovyLord wrote: »Like most, I get my food from a big chain super market, Stop & Shop. Lately I've been including a lot more fruits and vegetables in my diet. Generally non-organic. But I've been reading how pesticides are very bad and are found on 99% of produce.
For example leafy greens, apples, and strawberries. All staples of my diet there. I do take a multivitamin, my question is do you think the nutrients of fruits and vegetables are worthwhile despite the pesticides?
Also, organic produce is often not pesticide free either. It seems the more you learn about food the more it seems like nothing is completely good for you. Anyways, what do you think folks?
So you're asking which is better: eating fruits and vegetables with pesticides or eating NO fruit or vegetables?? I think the answer is obvious. What would you replace them with?? Because pretty much anything else you eat would at some level have SOME issue as well. Don't get all crazy about it. Fruit and veggies are always a win.
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my question is do you think the nutrients of fruits and vegetables are worthwhile despite the pesticides?
I'd say do what you can do. Cleaning up your diet a bit is never a bad thing but don't do it at the expense of livelihood.
So how did I not answer the question?
You really don't see how your ambiguous response is not an answer?
OP asks if people think the benefits of fruits and veggies (nutrients) outweigh the potential negatives (pesticide residue). You respond with "do what you can do", and mention the kind of meat you choose. And didn't address pesticides at all, which is the primary concern contained within the OP.
So no. You did not answer the question.0 -
professionalHobbyist wrote: »People have wildly varied opinions based on limited information
DDT was supposed to be safe. The same govt tells us all these pesticides are safe.
Thalidomide was supposed to be safe. The govt told us so. There was a generation of babies born with birth defects.
Smoking was actually touted as healthy at one time!!
I try to avoid poisons when I can.
I don't know for sure how safe they are or are not. But if I consume as little as possible I feel better about my chances!
It is a personal choice.
as far as pesticides go, DDT is not that toxic to us. It just has that nasty little problem of degrading to DDE then sticking around to play with your grandkids.
Its invention and use has saved millions around the world though...
Except that exposure to DDT is now thought to be responsible for some of the breast cancer cases in women without any risk factors (70% of women who develop breast cancer have none of the known risk factors).0 -
They say that if you wash your fruits and veggies, there is no more risk with non-organic than there is with organic.
Some of the veggies in my grocery store - I see no difference. I wonder if they don't put the same stuff in both sections. The same bunches of scallions, in the same shape, with the same rubber bands...makes me wonder.0 -
Washing your fruits and vegetables gets rid of most of what remains.
The reason apples are on the 'dirty dozen' list and not oranges is that you peel oranges which means you get rid of the outer layer of the fruit where most of the pesticides would remain. You could peel your apples and grapes to lessen your risk if you want.0 -
GroovyLord wrote: »Also, organic produce is often not pesticide free either. It seems the more you learn about food the more it seems like nothing is completely good for you. Anyways, what do you think folks?
I think life expectancy increased dramatically in the era of increased pesticide use.
Draw from that whatever conclusion fits your biases (we all have them!)
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Organic foods have pesticides on them. Just different ones than the regular farmers use. And because they are "natural" the certified organic farmers have to use a lot more of it than the farmers who just grow the food.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/apipkin/10-things-farmers-are-tired-of-hearing-131ey
Wash your produce and enjoy.0 -
MexicanOsmosis wrote: »
Lovely.
I'll add this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlqk8oV1FVIshadowfax_c11 wrote: »Organic foods have pesticides on them. Just different ones than the regular farmers use. And because they are "natural" the certified organic farmers have to use a lot more of it than the farmers who just grow the food.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/apipkin/10-things-farmers-are-tired-of-hearing-131ey
Wash your produce and enjoy.
That was a beautiful thing.
I'm loving this thread and its majority of rational responses.
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My boyfriend follows a rule when it comes to organic. He only buys organic if it's food that he eats a lot. Eggs and milk he buys organic, that's about it.0
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I won't get into organic pros/cons; that's a battle that's been going on for years and will continue for years yet to come. What I will say is that if you want to add known-pure, unadulterated vegetables to your diet... grow you own. Even a tiny yard can host a small vegetable garden, and if you can spare even that, container gardening on decks and patios can produce a surprising amount of food. Lettuce, kale, spinach, chard, carrots, radishes... many veggies are dead easy to grow, and you have complete control over what goes on 'em.
I grow (non-certified) organic produce for my family and a handful of friends. We control weeds and disease with heavy mulch and hand-picking, and fertilize with compost and aged manure (mostly chicken and rabbit). Bugs are controlled by rotating crops around each year and hand-picking or washing them off if they do appear... and a certain amount of "over-production" because we know we'll lose some to the critters. There are no industrially-produced chemical fertilizers or herbicides on anything, contrary to what some here are saying. (I know this is not necessarily the case for commercial organic-labeled products).
Are we healthier for it? I don't know. I don't think anybody else does, either - including the scientists arguing both sides of the debate. "Proven facts" about health and nutrition are debunked or recanted every day, it seems, and I don't believe anyone can say with 100% certainty that ag chemicals are safe... or not. We eat naturally-raised food because ultimately, common sense tells me it's the least risky choice.0 -
professionalHobbyist wrote: »People have wildly varied opinions based on limited information
DDT was supposed to be safe. The same govt tells us all these pesticides are safe.
DDT's issue was overuse. Like with any chemical (including water and oxygen) dose counts, and DDT got dumped a LOT, especially in areas where malaria was a problem. Also: It was also the government who did the investigation that led to the U.S. ban. Do you trust that government decision?Thalidomide was supposed to be safe. The govt told us so. There was a generation of babies born with birth defects.
Assuming by "the govt" you mean the U.S. government: Incorrect. In the U.S., thalidomide was never approved for use during the era of Thalidomide babies. That phenomenon was largely in Germany.
Also: thalidomide has since been approved by the FDA and is still in use in the U.S. today as a component of chemotherapy. Many people benefit from using thalidomide.
I would also point out that the government also approves the safety of the cars you drive and the buildings you live/work in. Do you wake up every morning paranoid that the ceiling is going to collapse on you or that your car will explode when you start it?
Governments are imperfect, but don't try to argue that just because the government has made mistakes in the past it cannot ever be trusted again.0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_IoNQHMFLk
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