The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has put out its 2018 report of the most pesticide ridden produce on the market, the Dirty Dozen™. They also have a Clean Fifteen™ list with fruits and vegetables considered to contain the least amounts of pesticide residue.
Strawberries nabbed the top spot on the Dirty Dozen list, for the third year in a row. USDA tests found that strawberries are the fresh produce most likely to be contaminated with pesticide residues, even after they are picked, rinsed in the field and washed before eating. They found that a single sample of strawberries showed 20 different pesticides. Continue reading “EWG Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen: 2018”
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This past Thursday, the Major League Baseball teams celebrated Opening Day – kicking off a season of increased colorectal cancer risk for baseball fans. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, baseball fans are expected to eat more than 19 million hot dogs during the 2018 season. But even eating just one hot dog a day can increase the risk of colorectal cancer, which kills more than 50,000 Americans per year.
According to recent data from the USDA, Americans are expected to eat a record-high average of 222 pounds of meat per person in 2018. That’s devastating news for Americans’ health. To put it in perspective, studies show that eating just 2 ounces of processed meat per day – less than the amount on a typical ham sandwich – can up the risk for colon cancer by 21%. Another recent study found that just one third of an ounce of processed meat a day – the weight of a single poker chip! – can raise the risk for breast cancer. 
One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. And although treatment and early detection are important, prostate cancer prevention is critical in slowing down the rate of this disease, as well as other male cancers.
Indole 3 carbinol (I3C), a substance found in some vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc.), and its metabolite di-indolylmethane (DIM) exhibit protective powers against some types of cancer, including breast cancer. These substances help support healthy estrogen metabolism by the liver, thereby potentially decreasing the risk of estrogen-sensitive cancers.
