News Coverage
Blueberries Rate Low On Pesticide
Published January 15, 2008
Concerns about pesticides can make the ''eat more fruit'' recommendation hard to swallow. I learned this from a reader who stopped eating blueberries when told they were high in pesticides. Here are the facts. In 2003 the Environmental Working Group tested and ranked 46 common fruits and vegetables for pesticide contamination. According to their findings, the produce with the highest amount of contamination, coined the dirty dozen, are peaches, strawberries, apples, spinach, nectarines, celery, pears, cherries, potatoes, bell peppers, raspberries and imported grapes. These would be the best choices for organic. Blueberries ranked No. 31.
Fruits and vegetables are great sources of naturally occurring disease-fighting compounds. They are low in fat and high in fiber. There might be small amounts of residue on produce but the benefits outweigh the risk and I encourage all to bring back the berries and at least four other servings of fruits and veggies daily.
TEA TIME
A reader wondered why I did not include red tea in a recent column about black, green and white tea. True tea comes from the camellia sinensis plant. Red tea, also know as red bush tea, is from the rooibos plant of South Africa. It's caffeine- and tannin-free and reported to have a sweet and slightly nutty flavor. Red tea contains the enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD). SOD repairs cells and reduces damage done by free radicals. This is why the extract of red tea is added to some skin-care products. Red tea also contains antioxidants and small amounts of calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium. In Africa, rooibos tea is prescribed for hay fever, asthma and stomach problems. It's available online and in tin from the Republic of Tea. I'm going to try some this week.
Your questions and comments direct my research, so please keep sending them.
Sheah Rarback is a registered dietitian at the UM Miller Medical School.
