24 Jul The Dirty Dozen & The Clean 15
Roundup, created by the chemical giant Monsanto is the most widely used weed killer on Earth. It’s sprayed on everything from tiny flower beds, school grounds, parks, gardens to vast fields of crops.
Children are considered to be at a higher risk of developing pesticide toxicity than adults and this is mostly due to their smaller size. Kids are also more likely to come into contact with pesticides from contaminated surfaces such as floors, carpets or lawns because they crawl or play on the ground.
Roundup is particularly worrying for our kids
These are some of the main concerns surrounding children’s exposure to pesticides.
- ✅. Children’s detoxification pathways aren’t as established as adults and therefore their exposure needs to be significantly reduced.
- ✅. Children’s reduced ability to detoxify pesticides may impact their developing brain leaving them more susceptible to neurotoxicity.
- ✅. Children are more at risk than adults because their growing bodies are more susceptible to the effects of toxins.
- ✅. Kids also eat more food per kilogram of body weight than adults, so they get a bigger “dose” of pesticides in food.
- ✅. The health effects of pesticides depend how much you are exposed to and for how long.
- ✅. Even in small doses, pesticides can build up in your child’s body over time and lead to chronic health problems.
The dirty dozen
The Dirty Dozen is a list of fruits and vegetables with the highest level of pesticide residues, created by The Environmental Working Group to help educate the public on food safety. Use this list as a guide to limit pesticide exposure to your child – these foods need to be thoroughly washed to remove as much of this harmful chemical as possible. (See below for washing instructions).
- ❎ Strawberries
- ❎ Spinach
- ❎ Nectarines
- ❎ Apples
- ❎ Grapes
- ❎ Peaches
- ❎ Cherries
- ❎ Pears
- ❎ Tomatoes
- ❎ Celery
- ❎ Potatoes
- ❎ Sweet bell peppers
The Clean 15
The Clean Fifteen is a list of fruit and vegetables sprayed with the least amount of harmful pesticides. This list is also put together by the Environmental Working Group. They believe these are the safest foods to buy as conventional non-organic produce.
- ✅. Avocado
- ✅. Sweet Corn
- ✅. Pineapple
- ✅. Onion
- ✅. Papaya
- ✅. Sweet Peas
- ✅. Eggplant
- ✅. Asparagus
- ✅. Cauliflower
- ✅. Cantaloupe
- ✅. Broccoli
- ✅. Mushrooms
- ✅. Cabbage
- ✅. Honeydew Melon
- ✅. Kiwi
How to wash fresh produce
All non-organic fruit and vegetables need to be washed to remove as much of this harmful chemical as possible.With a few simple steps, you can limit your and your family’s exposure to potentially harmful pesticides.
The best method to wash off the chemical residue is to fill the kitchen sink with 4 parts water to 1 part white vinegar and leave them to soak for approximately 15 minutes and rinse well.
FIONA STOCK | THE CHILDREN’S NATUROPATH | MELBOURNE NATUROPATH
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