Is it true that fruits and vegetables are safer if they are peeled?

There is an opinion that the peel accumulates substances harmful to human health, so it is better to clean it before using the fruits. We decided to check whether such fears have reasons. 

Some media writethat pesticides used in their cultivation can accumulate in the peel of fruits and vegetables. This is especially supposedly concerns fruits from greenhouses. Moreover, they note in a number of sources, this problem cannot be solved with simple washing, so you can meet recommendations Cut the skin thicker or buy the so -called Organic Fruits grown without the use of pesticides. Approved Also, on the peel of vegetables and fruits, paraffin and wax are harmful to the human body, which, after the collection, are brought to some fruits for a longer preservation of the product species, as well as various pathogenic microbes. 

The peel of fruits in itself often even happens More usefulthan the pulp. For example, the skin of apples, cucumbers, kiwi and oranges contains more vitamins, although the last two fruits are not accepted to eat with a peel due to its specific taste and texture. In addition, it is in the hard peel that contains a lot of fiber, useful for the body. Therefore, if a person wants to get as many vitamins and trace elements from fruits or vegetables, cut the skin is impractical.

However, the fruit peel may contain not only beneficial substances, but also traces of nitrates and pesticides. Nitrates - These are nitrogen fertilizers that can significantly increase productivity. In limited quantities, they are not dangerous for the human body (the use of 300–320 mg of nitrates per day is considered absolutely harmless). In addition, they do not accumulate in the body. However, due to excessive use of fertilizers in the fruits, a large number of nitrates can actually accumulate, and the use of such products can lead to poisoning. This applies primarily to vegetables growing directly in the soil or in contact with it. Specialists Markthat the presence in the fruits of trees and shrubs of high content of nitrates can be practically not afraid.

WITH pesticides Everything is somewhat more complicated. This common name is combined at once by several groups of plant protection from pests: insecticides (from insects), fungicides (from fungi), herbicides (from weeds), etc. Today there are hundreds of pesticides, and new ones are constantly created, since pests are adapted to the long -used ones. Of course, in many countries, all pesticides and other means used in agriculture are checked by regulatory authorities for safety before entering the market. However, some Experts express fearsthat these tests are not always carried out properly or cannot immediately assess the possible long -term consequences for humans. In addition, most often, several types of pesticides are used on the same plants, so the harmlessness of each of them separately may not guarantee the safety of the fetus that falls on the counter. WHO experts They saythat a person’s contact with a large number of pesticides can bring Both acute poisoning and long -term negative consequences for health, including oncological diseases. However, such fears are most relevant for agricultural workers directly in contact with these substances, and not for consumers, who, in the worst case, receive only the residual number of pesticides with food.

The content of nitrates and pesticides in fruits on store shelves is by no means a hypothetical danger. Non -profit organization "Roskazstvo"At the end of 2023 she studied 27 samples of vegetables of Russian manufacturers and found in one of the studied samples of cucumbers the number of nitrates exceeding norm. In 15 samples of vegetables, various pesticides were found. Since there are hundreds of species and far from all of them are clearly regulated by Russian or any foreign laws, in a number of cases, the Roskachestvo experts could not determine whether the safe dose was exceeded. Nevertheless, 12 out of 27 samples were recognized as “clean” from pesticides and nitrates, so the fruits that can be eaten without fear are quite accessible on store shelves. However, it is quite difficult to determine the safety of a fruit or vegetable outside the laboratory.

The problem with pesticide contamination is relevant not only for Russia. The American non -profit organization Ecological Working Group (EWG), which is engaged in the study of toxic substances in food and drinks, in the same 2023 discoveredthat among more than 46,000 samples of 46 different vegetables and fruits, about 75% contain traces of pesticides. In 2018, the French Environmental Protection Association Générations Futures I studied 52 fruits from local stores and found traces of pesticides with 70% fruits and 41% of vegetables. Among the record holders in the content of pesticides in both studies were fresh herbs, berries (cherries, strawberries) and grapes - products that are problematic to clean from the peel. 

To protect themselves, experts advise before use to wash any fruits and vegetables, even if you are not going to eat a peel (as, for example, in the case of bananas or tangerines). Office for Sanitary Supervision of the quality of food and US medicines (FDA) Notesthat, in addition to the residues of fertilizers or wax, the fruits may contain a large number of pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, even if you are going to cut the peel, it should be clean - so microbes from it will not fall on the pulp. National Information Center for US Pesticides (NPIC) too Recommends Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly: hold them under running water in a colander, rub the fruits with a solid peel with a brush, and with soft fingers. Use of soap or dishwashing products at the same time better avoidsince they can be absorbed into the fetus and cause more harm than good. At the same time, NPIC experts clarify that even thorough flushing does not guarantee the complete removal of all traces of pesticides, so among their recommendations there are advice to clean the fruits of the peel in cases where it is possible. 

It turns out that the consumer has to choose between the potential benefit from vitamins and trace elements in the peel and the possible harm from pesticides, which can also be contained in it. One of the options for solving this problem may be a choice in favor of organic products. "Checked" already It wrote The fact that it is not yet possible to talk about their advantages for the usual ones, but when growing such fruits, mineral nitrogen fertilizers and a significant part of synthetic pesticides are really not used. 

Another common fear among consumers is fruits and vegetables covered with wax. Indeed, in stores you can often see Shiny, as if covered with an oily film, apples, oranges and peppers. Actually wax It is produced In the same apples naturally, to protect them from moisture loss and, as a result, premature drying, as well as from mold and other microorganisms. Fruits grown and collected on an industrial scale are cleaned of dirt, leaves and chemicals, due to which this natural coating is washed off. That is why for long -term storage apples and some other fruits are covered with wax again. Theoretically, all nutritional supplements, including the compositions used in this procedure, are certified and secured. However, for example, Diphenil (or the addition of E230), which has long been banned in the EU because of its potential carcinogenic and allergic properties, in Russia Book on the black list only in February 2024, although earlier Covered apples. This is another argument in favor of the fact that the fruits that can be covered with similar compounds should be thoroughly washed before use - this will be possible if not avoided, then at least minimize the chance of potentially harmful substances in the body.

Thus, if we are talking about vegetables and fruits that are definitely not exposed to pesticides and other chemicals (for example, from their own country area), it is not worth cleaning the peel from them, since it contains many useful substances. With fruits purchased in stores or in the markets, everything is somewhat more complicated. Despite the fact that in agriculture only certified fertilizers and protective equipment in safe quantities should be used, various non -profit organizations in the study of fruits often record the excess of permissible doses in samples. In addition, due to the wide variety of the same pesticides, one can not always say unequivocally that their effect on the human body is precisely well studied. The same applies to the funds with which the fruits are processed after the collection. Therefore, all fruits, vegetables, berries and greens (even collected in their garden) must be thoroughly washed, and if there are fears that they may contain traces of chemicals, experts recommend, if possible, and clean the peel. 

Photo on the cover: Pixabay.com

Half truth

What do our verdicts mean?

Read on the topic:

1. Webmd. Fruit and Veggie Skins You Can Eat
2. WHO. Remains of pesticides in food products
3. Is it true that products marked “organic” are more useful than ordinary?
4. Is it true that food additives are dangerous to health?