by Pat Merewether

Created on: April 02, 2010   Last Updated: July 06, 2010

It's good to know what kinds of fruits and vegetables are the most toxic.  It's best to purchase organic produce but this is not always possible or affordable.  So, here is a list of the worst offenders, so you can make an informed choice when purchasing produce.

FRUIT

PEACHES are sprayed with a total of 53 pesticides throughout the growing season.  Their thin skin does little to protect the luscious fruit, so the safest bet is to eat only organic peaches or give them up entirely. This may sound extreme, but when you consider the physical and neurological damage pesticides can do to the human body, especially to young children, it's an easy choice.

APPLES are number two on the list of toxic fruit, with 50 or more pesticides sprayed on them before they reach your lunch plate.   Washing and peeling help a little, but it is safer to eat organic apples or maybe plant a tree and grow your own. You lose a lot of the nutrition and fiber when you peel an apple.   Dwarf apple trees only reach ten to fifteen feet tall, which makes caring for them fairly easy.  .

NECTARINES are the third most toxic fruits. Over ninety-percent of the fruit tested were covered in pesticides. So, these too are best if organic or eliminated from your diet. 

STRAWBERRIES grown on commercial farms were tested and thirty-eight different pesticides were found on them.  Buy organic strawberries or grow them.  You can grow them in a strawberry jar, even if you have only a small, sunny space.

CHERRIES will expose you to twelve pesticides, so again go organic.  Locally grown Cherries have a smaller carbon footprint and often farmers with smaller cherry orchards use fewer chemicals. Many states have small cherry orchards, so check with your local extension service.

GRAPES ring in at number six.  Studies show that grapes grown in America have lower levels of pesticides than those grown in other countries, but organic is best, especially if you have small children.  Children's bodies are less able to tolerate pesticides.

PEARS are lower on this list, so are exposed to fewer pesticides than many fruits, but it is still wise to buy organic, or again, grow your own.

RASPBERRIES  look so lovely and harmless, but the pesticides applied to them have been linked with developing Parkinson's disease.

PLUMS are another thin-skinned stone fruit that are dosed with pesticides.

Oranges and Tangerines have thick rinds, so the fruit inside is safer

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