00:00Potatoes, strawberries, apples, and kale, they're all foods packed with nutrients and on most people's healthy eating lists, right?
00:09Well, a new study finds those same foods may also be among the biggest sources of pesticide exposure.
00:20The research was published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health,
00:25looking at 44 fruits and vegetables, along with urine samples from thousands of Americans to see how pesticides show up in the body.
00:34Increased pesticide exposure has been linked to long-term health issues, including certain cancers, fertility problems, and metabolic diseases.
00:43So what can you do to cut your risk?
00:46Washing is definitely highly recommended.
00:49Organic can reduce pesticide exposure.
00:51We've seen that in studies over and over again.
00:54But we know that's not accessible, you know, or really advice that, you know, somebody can implement all the time.
01:01Dr. Alexis Timken is the vice president for science at the Environmental Working Group and the lead author of this study.
01:08She says the main goal was understanding how multiple pesticides eaten together in a typical diet may affect our health.
01:15And while escaping pesticides completely isn't easy, starting with an organic switch on the highest residue foods can help.
01:24The study found these items had the highest pesticide loads, including spinach, apples, potatoes, and even kale greens.
01:33To help us understand more, we also spoke with Nathan Donnelly, the Environmental Health Science Director at the Center for Biological Diversity.
01:42He said that even with washing and making the switch to organic produce, there's still a risk for exposure.
01:49A lot of pesticides actually get into the vascular system of the plant and get translocated all throughout the plant.
01:58So they're in the leaves, they're in the stems, and they're in the tissue of the fruit or the vegetable that you're going to be eating.
02:05If you have the option to grow your own produce, Donnelly says that's one of the best ways to limit pesticide exposure, because you control what goes into your food.
02:15It's ultimately about the cumulative exposure, but not so fast.
02:20Both Donnelly and Tim can point out fruits and vegetables are still essential to a healthy diet.
02:26The key is minimizing exposure where you can.
02:28However, while we can only do so much as far as what we consume, they both said it ultimately boils down to one thing.
02:36We need a better regulatory system.
02:40It points to just needing a regulatory system that is considering the presence of multiple pesticides on fruits and vegetables.
02:48Pesticides are legal and regulated in the U.S., but current standards likely only look at one chemical at a time and not the cumulative effect of multiple that we eat every day.
03:00Vote your values.
03:01Our regulatory system really isn't going to get any better until we get decision makers in place that want to make a change.
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