7. Conventionally Grown Apples: While a recent study found that conventionally farmed produce isn’t nutritionally inferior to the stuff grown on organic farms, there’s no question that pesticides used to grow regular produce can damage the brain and nervous system, lead to cancer, disrupt your hormones, and lead to skin, eye, and lung irritation, according to data assembled by the EWG. And pesticides tend to stick around on some fruits and veggies — even after you wash and peel them.
In an ideal world, you’d splurge on the organic versions of the most contaminated foods: Apples, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, grapes, celery, spinach, sweet bell peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas, potatoes, hot peppers, kale, and collard greens, according to the EWG’s most recent report. But most people don’t. If there’s one fruit to buy in the organic aisle, Rifkin says, make sure it’s apples: 99 percent of apples EWG tested contained the residue of at least one kind of pesticide.
That said, there’s one exception: When your only food options are a conventional apple or a processed snack like a bag of chips. In this case, Leiba says, the plain old apple is still your best bet.
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