Q. Is it true that the vitamins in most fruit and vegetables are just under the skin, making it wiser to scrub them than to peel?
A. In general, yes. Produce with edible skin—such as apples, eggplant, kiwi fruit, and pears—offer healthful nutrients that concentrate in or just below the skin, such as antioxidants and insoluble fiber. So leaving the skin intact is usually the best way to preserve the full amount of fiber and vitamins.
But the skin can also harbor bacteria and pesticides, so it’s important to scrub produce under running water before eating it. And try to buy organic versions of the fruits and vegetables that tend to harbor the highest pesticide residues when grown conventionally, including apples, bell peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, peaches, pears, and tomatoes.
For more on when it pays to buy organic, watch our video.
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This article appeared in the February 2014 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
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