Children fed non-organic food have pesticide residues
Another study showing the significant amount of organophosphates in the saliva and urine of children eating a conventional diet has been released. Organophosphates are ‘bug killers," a class of chemicals that kill insects by disrupting their brains and nervous systems. Unfortunately, these chemicals also can harm the brains and nervous systems of animals and humans. Children are particularly vulnerable.
An article at organicconsumers.org (link below) discusses the study and its implications. Similar studies have show that by replacing the same foods with organic versions that pesticide levels present in urine samples were reduced from around 80 to 100%. In some instances the change occurred within 36 hours.
Switching to a completely organic diet, which can be difficult to achieve with a child who attends public school for instance, may not be possible for a variety of reasons. The best thing to do is to look at the foods your family eats the most of and make those choices organic. For instance, if you drink a lot of tea, buy that organic. If your child loves strawberries — a fruit high in antioxidants and pesticide levels — organic strawberries are well worth the price. Or, purchase local berries from a small farmer who limits the amount of chemicals they use on their crops.
Here’s an abstract of the article and the link below it. sq
CHILDREN FED NON-ORGANIC FOOD HAVE PESTICIDES IN THE URINE
A new peer-reviewed study found levels of nerve-gas like pesticides in the bodies of children who eat conventional foods. Researchers found that if a child switched to an organic diet, the pesticide disappeared from the child’s urine within 36 hours. Organophosphates were designed during WWII specifically to kill humans and later evolved into commonly used pesticides for food crops. The study has not yet linked the pesticide levels to specific foods, but other studies have shown peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, nectarines, strawberries and cherries are among those that most frequently have detectable levels of pesticides.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_10066.cfm
Organic is the way to eat. Hopefully we will see more organic farms, like Honest Farm, “crop” up in the near future. AND for those of us who garden in the backyard — going organic makes sense both financially as well as protecting all who participate in this rewarding activity — especially kids! Thanks for the article, Susie.
Comment by Jennifer Dunham — February 22, 2008 @ 6:29 PM
My family and I have turned to an organic diet during the last year, and we love it. After having read about the amount of pesticides and other harmful chemicals that my family was being exposed to, we made the decision to go organic and I am glad we did.
Comment by Missy — March 3, 2008 @ 3:51 PM