The truth is, those results are being highly debated—and the study didn’t even look at the potential risks of the fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics that are found more often in nonorganic products. “Choosing organic does mean you’ll be better off in terms of pesticide levels,” says Steven Pratt, MD, a nutritional consultant and author of SuperHealth and SuperFoods Rx.
Your best bet: Wash any produce you buy really well to remove chemicals (scrub under clean running water with your hands or a brush) and spend your bucks on the organic foods whose conventional cousins pack the biggest pesticide or additive punch. For the best buys on organics near you, check out LocalHarvest.org.
Spend your $$ on these organics:
Splurge on produce you eat skin and all (skip bananas with their protective peel, for example) and on proteins most likely to contain additives, such as beef, eggs, and milk.
