These days, it’s tough to know exactly what you’re getting when you buy fresh fruits and vegetables. We all know that we have to wash our produce before eating it, but increasingly more and more water-resistant chemicals and pesticides that won’t wash off with the rain are added to growing produce, and therefore these chemicals are harder to wash off in our homes before we eat them.
These chemicals are more harmful to children and babies than they are to adults, which is why it’s important to consider your child’s health when choosing to buy organic. As a matter of fact, according to recent research conducted at the University of California Berkley, exposure of prenatal babies to these pesticides showed an overall decrease in IQ of 5.5 pts by the age of 7 compared to kids with no exposure to the toxic chemicals. Exposure to the toxins can have a significant effect on the development of the child’s nervous system. Here is a list of fruits and veggies that are at risk for the highest concentration of pesticides, and should therefore be bought only organic:
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Carrots
10. Pears
