Recently Prevention.com asked top experts which foods are safe to eat and which ones are loaded with toxins and chemicals. Below is a reprint of the top offenders, why they’re bad, and what you can do about it.
1. Canned Tomatoes
The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain BPA, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food.
The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles or boxes.
2. Corn-Fed Beef
The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. But more money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us.
The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers’ markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It’s usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don’t see it, ask the butcher.
3. Microwave Popcorn
The problem: Chemicals in the lining of the bag are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans and they cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer in animals. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize—and migrate into your popcorn to stay in your body for years.
The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.
4. Non-organic Potatoes
The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes—the nation’s most popular vegetable—they’re treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they’re dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting.
The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn’t good enough if you’re trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.
5. Farmed Salmon
The problem: Nature didn’t intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, flame retardants, and pesticides. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.
The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon, which you can often find in cans. Warning: If the package says fresh Atlantic, don’t buy it – it’s farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.
6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones
The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk.
The solution: Check labels that say “rBGH-free” or “organic.”
Click the apple above to learn how to make your own organic applesauce.
7. Non-organic Apples
The problem: If fall fruits held a “most doused in pesticides” contest, apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don’t develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently, which may account for why farm workers have higher cancer rates than other people.
The solution: Buy organic apples.
Do you have foods that you will absolutely not eat because of their toxicity? Share them here so we can all get healthy together.
