Researchers in America have shown that when children eat organic fruits and vegetables, levels of pesticides in their body fall significantly.
Scientists from the Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health at the University of California studied 20 children in an urban setting, and a further 20 from a rural, farming community. All the children ate a conventional diet for four days, an organic diet for seven days and then five days back on the conventional diet.
Looking at urine samples provided on a daily basis, the researchers found that 72% of the samples contained evidence of pesticides. Among the two most frequently detected pesticides, two fell by nearly 50% when children were on the organic diet, and those of another common herbicide fell by 25%. Three other frequently detected pesticides were not significantly lower on the organic diet. Levels were generally higher in the rural area than in the city setting, suggestion higher environmental exposure to particular chemicals.
Lead reacher, Asa Bradman told the New York Times: “There is evidence that diet is one route of exposure to pesticides and you can reduce your exposure by choosing organic food”. But she stressed that the researchers were not concluding that conventional fruits and vegetables are unsafe.
