3 Reasons Store-Bought Veggies Could be Making You Sick
Filling your grocery cart with fresh produce is always a good idea. But it's possible that it could come with some health risks you should be aware of. The fact is, there are 3 main reasons why the veggies in the produce section at your local supermarket could be slowly making you sick.
- Commercial Herbicides and Pesticides
- Dye Additives and Color Agents
- Wax Coatings and Preservatives
Commercial Herbicides and Pesticides
When growing crops for commercial sale, farmers rely on toxic herbicides and pesticides to protect their crops. These additives make it easier and less expensive to grow produce--but they come with health risks linked to everything from cancer to neurological disorders.
Dye Additives and Color Agents
Food dyes can be found in a lot of foods, but they are also linked to allergies, cancer and even genetic mutations. Some commercial produce is dyed with coloring agents to offer a more healthy or ripened look.
Wax Coatings and Preservatives
Those seemingly perfect apples, cucumbers, and eggplants that have their shining glory beneath the supermarket lights look appetizing and healthy--but don’t be fooled. Many stores use a wax to make produce look like that, which can seal in contaminants beneath the outer skin, making it hard to get the outer peeling clean enough to eat. Peeling your produce can lead to missing out on the most nutritious parts of your food. The skin of the apple is packed with vitamins and antioxidants, for example. Make sure you wash all your fruits and veggies thoroughly before eating--yes, even organic ones. Here’s a top rated vegetable wash.
Anything labeled with the "certified organic seal" limits the grower to use only natural methods of pest control. Most stores carry organic produce now and they can also be ordered online as well. See Amazon Fresh for prices and organic produce delivery options in your area.
See also: The Truth About Organic Foods -- Are They Worth It
Buy fresh local organic produce, if possible, by purchasing directly from a local farm. This not only allows you to get fresh fruits and veggies, but even boosts the local economy. Buying and trying different foods in season from farmer's markets can not only be safer and delicious, but perhaps introduce you to flavors you have not yet tried.
Prices for organic produce almost match the cost of inorganics, so I don't mind paying a little more.
