See How Quickly Eating Organic Can Rid Your Body of Pesticides
May 23, 2015
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By Dr. Mercola
In order to qualify as organic, a product must be grown and processed
using organic farming methods that recycle resources and promote
biodiversity. Crops must be grown without synthetic pesticides,
bioengineered genes, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based
fertilizers.
In this way, when you eat organic what the food doesn't contain
is just as important as what it does. This is especially true when it
comes to pesticides. You might have wondered just how much a difference
eating organic actually makes. Is it worth the (sometimes) higher price
or the effort it may take to seek out mostly organic food?
Research conducted by the Swedish Environmental Research Institute
found out just that. You can get the gist of the study by watching the
video above. According to Coop Sverige, which commissioned the study:1
"We wanted to know more about what happens in the body when
switching from conventional to organic food. The result was so
interesting that we made a film to share with the masses. We want to
inspire more people to eat organic – we think it's good for both people
and the environment."
Just Two Weeks of Eating Organic May Significantly Lower Pesticide Levels in Your Body
The study was refreshingly straightforward. A family of five, which
included three children, typically ate mostly conventional,
non-organically grown food. For the study, the family continued eating
only conventionally grown food for one week.
They then switched to an entirely organic diet, which they followed
for two weeks. Urine samples from all the family members were taken
throughout the course of the study and analyzed for their pesticide
content. After just two weeks of eating organic, pesticide levels
declined significantly. According to the report:2
"The results of the survey clearly show that some pesticides are
absorbed into the body through diet. By choosing organic products, it is
possible by and large to avoid the consumption of these chemicals
through food.
Compared with the period when the family consumed conventionally
grown food, the concentrations of pesticide residues decreased on
average by a factor of 6.7 when the family ate organic food.
The children in particular had lower concentrations during the
period of organic food consumption. Levels of most, but not all tested
pesticides fell in the adults."
Earlier this year, a separate study published in Environmental Health Perspectives came to similar conclusions.3
It looked at the diets of nearly 4,500 people living in six US cities,
assessing exposure levels to organophosphates (OPs), which are among the
most commonly used insecticides on US farms.
Not surprisingly, those who ate conventionally grown produce were found
to have high concentrations of OP metabolites, whereas those who ate
organic produce had significantly lower levels. Those who "often or
always" ate organic had about 65 percent lower levels of pesticide
residues compared to those who ate the least amount of organic produce.
According to lead author Cynthia Curl:
"If you tell me what you typically eat, I can tell you how high your
pesticide exposure is likely to be. The study suggests that by eating
organically grown versions of those foods highest in pesticide residues,
we can make a measurable difference."
Pesticide Levels Detected Below Allowable Limits… But Does This Equate with Safety?
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) insists pesticide residues on food
are no cause for concern. More than half of all foods tested last year
had detectable levels of pesticide residues, but most, the USDA claims,
are within the "safe" range.
In the featured study, the researchers also pointed out that even
when the family was eating conventionally grown food, their pesticide
levels fell below the acceptable daily intake (ADI), which suggests it
would pose no risk to their health. However, this assumption misses out
on a key factor: cumulative exposure. According to the report:4
"The concentrations measured in the urine show that although
pesticides are present in the body, the levels are low and, when
converted, are estimated to be below the ADI value (acceptable daily
intake) by a good margin. The ADI value is the maximum quantity of a
substance that a person can consume daily throughout his or her lifetime
without this posing any risk to their health.
It is therefore unlikely that a single substance would pose any
risk to humans. That said, the system currently used for risk assessing
chemicals is suitable only for one substance at a time.
There is, therefore, no approved method for making an overall
assessment of the effect of multiple chemicals simultaneously (i.e.
combination effects, popularly known as the 'cocktail effect'). There is
an awareness that this is a major shortcoming."
The USDA's assurances of safety are also lacking, as the Department does not test
for one of the most pervasive and most harmful agricultural chemicals
of all, namely glyphosate, which is the active ingredient in Monsanto's
Roundup. As reported by Reuters:5
"As has been the case with past analyses, the USDA said it did not
test this past year for residues of glyphosate, the active ingredient in
Roundup herbicide and the world's most widely used herbicide.
A USDA spokesman who asked not to be quoted said that the test
measures required for glyphosate are 'extremely expensive... to do on a
regular basis...'
…Many genetically modified crops can be sprayed directly with
glyphosate, and some consumer and health groups fear glyphosate residues
in foods are harmful to human health, even though the government says
the pesticide is considered safe."
What Are the Real Health Risks of Pesticide Exposure?
More than 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used in the US each
year, an amount that has quintupled since 1945. This includes 20,000
products made from varying formulations of more than 1,000 chemicals,
sprayed everywhere from farm fields and gardens to playgrounds and
schools.6
In children, there is increasing evidence that these ubiquitous
chemicals are especially damaging, not only at high exposure levels but
also at low, chronic levels to which millions are exposed.
The
CHAMACOS study followed hundreds of pregnant women living in Salinas
Valley, California, an agricultural mecca that has had up to a
half-million pounds of organophosphates sprayed in the region per year.
The children were followed through age 12 to assess what impact the
pesticides had on their development.7 It turns out the impact was quite dramatic, and mothers' exposure to organophosphates during pregnancy was associated with:8
- Shorter duration of pregnancy
- Decreased neonatal reflexes
- Lower IQ and poorer cognitive functioning in children
- Increased risk of attention problems in children
As the dangers of organophosphates become clear, farmers have shifted
toward other supposedly safer chemicals, like neonicotinoids and
pyrethroids. The former group of chemicals is a leading suspect behind
the massive bee die-offs
occurring across the US, and the latter have shown equally concerning
health effects as organophosphates. One study tested urine samples from
779 Canadian children, aged 6-11, and even at that young age, 97 percent
of the children had pyrethroid breakdown products in their urine.
Ninety-one percent also had traces of organophosphate pesticides.9
A 10-fold increase in urinary levels of one pyrethroid breakdown product
was associated with twice the risk of a child scoring high for
behavioral problems, such as inattention and hyperactivity. And
according to a 2006 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review,
animal research has also shown that even low levels of some of these
compounds have an adverse effect on:10
| Immune function | Nervous system development |
Behavioral development |
| Thyroid |
Liver |
Reproductive hormones |
Glyphosate Residues on Your Food May Be Harmful
Nearly 1 billion pounds of glyphosate
is doused on both conventional and genetically modified (GM) crops
worldwide each year, although GM crops receive the heaviest amounts.
It's important to realize that processed foods undoubtedly expose you to
this toxic contamination, courtesy of the GM soy, GM sugar beets, and
vegetable oil used.11
The same goes for meats from animals raised in confined animal feeding
operations (CAFOs), as GM soy is a staple of conventional livestock
feed.
It's quite crucial to understand that glyphosate contamination in GM crops is systemic,
meaning it is present in every cell of the plant, from root to tip.
It's not just an issue of topical contamination—although that certainly
adds to the level of contamination. Normally, you need to thoroughly
wash your produce to help remove topical residues, but you cannot remove glyphosate from GM produce, as it has been absorbed into the cells of the plant.
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC),
which is the research arm of the World Health Organization (WHO),
determined glyphosate to be a “probable carcinogen” (Class 2A), based on
“limited evidence” showing that the popular weed killer can cause
non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and lung cancer in humans, along with “convincing
evidence” it can also cause cancer in animals.12
Glyphosate and glyphosate formulations have also been shown to induce
DNA and chromosomal damage in mammals, as well as human and animal
cells in vitro. Research published in 2013 showed glyphosate residues
"enhance the damaging effects of other food-borne chemical residues and
toxins in the environment to disrupt normal body functions and induce
disease."
A Norwegian study published in Food Technology also found
that GM soy contains high levels of glyphosate, along with a poorer
nutritional profile, leading the researchers to question its quality and
safety.13
Evidence also suggests glyphosate may be a key player in Argentina's
growing health problems, where birth defects and cancer rates have
skyrocketed among GE corn and soya farming communities. According to Dr.
Medardo Vasquez, a neonatal specialist at the Children's Hospital in
Cordoba, featured in the documentary film People and Power — Argentina: The Bad Seeds:
"I see newborn infants, many of whom are malformed. I have to tell
parents that their children are dying because of these agricultural
methods. In some areas in Argentina, the primary cause of death for
children less than one year old is malformations."
Additional Benefits of Eating Organic
Lowering your exposure to pesticides and other agricultural chemicals
is just one reason to consider eating organic as much as possible. One
of the benefits of eating organic, for instance, is that the foods will
be free of GM ingredients – and this is key to avoiding exposure to toxic glyphosate.
In addition to fewer pesticide and chemical residues, organic foods
have, on average, 48 percent lower levels of cadmium, a toxic metal and
known carcinogen.14
Organic meats are also far less likely to contain drug-resistant bacteria, which is yet another major health threat.15
Organic rules do not permit antibiotics to be used, whereas
conventional farmers routinely give their animals antibiotics to promote
rapid growth. Meanwhile, organic fruits and vegetables can contain
anywhere from 18-69 percent more antioxidants than conventionally grown
varieties. According to the study authors:16
"Many of these compounds have previously been linked to a reduced
risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and
neurodegenerative diseases and certain cancers, in dietary intervention
and epidemiological studies. Additionally, the frequency of occurrence
of pesticide residues was found to be four times higher in conventional
crops... Significant differences were also detected for some other (e.g.
minerals and vitamins) compounds."
There are also a number of other studies to support the claim that
organically grown produce contain higher levels of nutrients in general.
For example, in 2010 PLOS ONE published a study showing organic strawberries were more nutrient-rich than non-organic strawberries.17
Which Foods Are the Most Important to Buy Organic?
Everyone can be harmed by pesticides, but if you're a woman of
childbearing age or have young children, taking steps to reduce your
exposure is especially important. Ideally, all of the food you and your
family eat would be organic. That being said, not everyone has access to
a wide variety of organic produce, and it can sometimes be
costlier than buying conventional. One way to save some money while
still lowering your risk is by focusing on purchasing certain organic
items, while "settling" for others that are conventionally grown.
Animal products, like meat, butter, milk, and eggs, are actually the most important
to buy organic, since animal products tend to bioaccumulate toxins from
their pesticide-laced feed, concentrating them to far higher
concentrations than are typically present in vegetables.
Unlike conventional fruits and vegetables, where peeling and washing can
sometimes reduce the amounts of these toxins, the pesticides and drugs
that these animals get exposed to during their lives can become
incorporated into their very tissues, especially their fat. So if you're
on a budget, choose organic animal foods first.
Beyond animal foods, the pesticide load of different fruits and
vegetables can vary greatly. Consumer Reports analyzed 12 years of data
from the USDA's Pesticide Data Program to determine the risk categories
(from very low to very high) for different types of produce.18
Because children are especially vulnerable to the effects of
environmental chemicals, including pesticides, they based the risk
assessment on a 3.5-year-old child. They recommended buying organic for
any produce that came back in the medium or higher risk categories,
which left the following foods as examples of those you should always try to buy organic.
Tips to Minimize Your Dietary Pesticide Exposure
Your best bet for minimizing health risks from pesticide
exposure in your food is to avoid them in the first place by eating
organic as much as possible and investing in a good water filtration system
for your home or apartment. Alternatively, you can try growing some of
your own produce using organic methods right in your own backyard.
If you know you have been exposed to pesticides, the lactic acid bacteria formed during the fermentation of kimchi may help your body break down pesticides. So including fermented foods like kimchi in your diet may also be a wise strategy to help detox the pesticides that do enter your body.
Following are some great resources to obtain wholesome organic food.
Eating locally produced organic food will not only support your
family's health, it will also protect the environment from harmful
chemical pollutants and the inadvertent spread of GM seeds and
chemical-resistant weeds and pests. Finally, if you can't find organic
produce, don't use that as an excuse to skimp on veggies altogether. As Consumer Reports noted:19
"Though we believe that organic is always the best choice because it
promotes sustainable agriculture, getting plenty of fruits and
vegetables—even if you can't obtain organic—takes precedence when it
comes to your health."
Also remember that some local foods are grown using organic standards,
even though they might not be certified organic. One of the benefits of
getting your food straight from the farm via the resources below is that
you can often meet the farmer and ask about pesticides and other chemical usage before you buy:
- Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
- Farmers' Markets -- A national listing of farmers' markets.
- Local Harvest
-- This Web site will help you find farmers' markets, family farms, and
other sources of sustainably grown food in your area where you can buy
produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.
- Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals
-- The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised
meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns,
and hotels, and online outlets in the United States and Canada.
- Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) -- CISA is dedicated to sustaining agriculture and promoting the products of small farms.
-
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