Organic food has been around in our markets since the 1940s. But to this day you may still consider whether or not you should consume organic or conventional fruits and vegetables. Well, by presenting the dangers of pesticide residue maybe we could succeed to wager in your decision.
According to the American Cancer Society, there are almost 1.7 million people in America diagnosed with cancer.
And many evidence points out that the pesticide we use for protecting our vegetables and fruit is a growing contributor to cancer statistics.
Pesticide Residue Report
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 2009 examined children that live in homes that use pesticides and children that live in pesticide-free areas.
The findings are compared alongside children that live in pesticide-free areas.
The examination found that the children that live near pesticide use have twice the risk of developing brain cancer as children that live in pesticide-free areas.
The consequences of exposure to pesticides can come years after the initial exposure.
Another study by the Institute for Public Health from 2007 found that children of mothers who were exposed to organochlorine pesticides during pregnancy had a 600% increase in the risk of developing autism-related disorders.
Pesticides can negatively affect the development of the central nervous system in children. The central nervous system forms somewhere around age 12.
Exposure to pesticides around that time, or earlier is extremely toxic for children.
Choosing Organic
Studies conducted on organic food consistently proved that organic fruit and vegetables had increased the number of antioxidants and nutrients. These studies have also shown that organic food product contains more micro-nutrients like zinc, vitamin C, iron, etc.
One study researching organic berries found that organically grown berries have up to 58 percent more antioxidants.
According to the same research, berries have also 52 percent more vitamin C than conventionally grown berries.
Fruits that we grow organically will always outperform conventional fruits because the organic ones develop antioxidants more frequently.
Antioxidants are not only useful to the human body, but they also serve a protective function in fruits that helps them repel malicious foreign bodies like insects.
Conventional fruit fails to produce an adequate amount of antioxidants because it already relies on chemical pesticide sprays.
According to the USDA Pesticide Data Program, here is the rate of pesticide residue in non-organic fruits and vegetables:
| Fruits and Vegetables | Number of pesticide residue |
| Apples | 47 |
| Strawberries | 45 |
| Peaches | 62 |
| Nectarines | 33 |
| Grapes | 56 |
| Celery | 64 |
| Spinach | 54 |
| Cherries | 42 |
| Sweet bell peppers | 53 |
| Tomatoes | 35 |
| Cucumbers | 86 |
| Cherry tomatoes | 69 |
| Blueberries | 52 |
| Snap peas | 78 |
| Hot peppers | 75 |
| Collard Greens | 45 |
| Potatoes | 35 |
| Kale | 55 |
| Lettuce | 52 |
| Green beans | 44 |
| Pears | 40 |
| Plums | 44 |
| Carrots | 26 |
| Tangerines | 14 |
| Winter squash | 64 |
| Snap peas | 78 |
| Summer squash | 40 |
| Bananas | 11 |
| Green onions | 31 |
| Watermelon | 26 |
| Oranges | 12 |
| Sweet potatoes | 19 |
| Broccoli | 33 |
| Cauliflower | 15 |
| Mushrooms | 11 |
| Grapefruit | 11 |
| Cantaloupe | 17 |
| Eggplant | 18 |
| Papaya | 7 |
| Asparagus | 9 |
| Mangos | 11 |
| Sweet frozen peas | 12 |
| Pineapple | 6 |
| Cabbage | 11 |
| Avocados | 1 |
| Sweetcorn | 3 |
Source: EWG
Image Source: Efsa
