Does eating fruit and vegetable skins provide nutritional benefits? —Y.Y., Amherst, Mass.

Yes, but there may be hazards, too. Skins tend to be fairly high in insoluble fiber, which can lower the risk of some digestive disorders, and they’re loaded with phytonutrients, which may help prevent many diseases. But conventionally grown produce is usually coated with tiny amounts of pesticide residues. With certain items––apples, bell peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, peaches, pears, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes––the pesticides may be trapped under a layer of wax. Whether it’s harmful to consume those residues is not clear.