Scientists Can Predict Your Pesticide Exposure Based On How Much Organic Produce You Eat
Many health conscious people are aware of the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, but there are still a significant amount of people who are unaware of the harmful toxic pesticides that they could be ingesting with them. Cynthia Curl, an assistant professor in the School of Allied Health Sciences Department of Community and Environmental Health at Boise State university, recently published a pesticide exposure study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. (1)(2) The study analyzed the dietary exposure of approximately 4,500 people from several cities in the United States to organophosphates (OP), which are the most commonly used insecticides on conventionally grown produce in the United States. As Cynthia points out in her study, this specific group of pesticides has been linked to several detrimental health effects that are commonly seen in humans who are regularly exposed to them. Results of her research indicated that among individuals eating similar amounts of vegetables and fruits, the ones who reported eating organic produce had significantly lower OP pesticide exposure than those who normally consume conventionally grown produce. It also found that the fruits typically treated with more of these pesticides during production, such as peaches and apples, was associated with, again, significantly higher levels of exposure. “For most Americans, diet is the primary source of OP pesticide exposure.
The study suggests that by eating organically grown versions of those foods highest in pesticide residues, we can make a measurable difference in the levels of pesticides in our body.” (source) It’s kind of a no brainer, isn’t it? Obviously, if we are eating conventional produce that is heavily sprayed with toxic chemicals, we will be ingesting them into our body, which is not good. “If we can predict pesticide exposure, then we may be able to understand the potential health effects of dietary exposure to pesticides without having to collect biological samples from people. This will allow research on organic food to be both less expensive and less invasive.
The next step is to use these exposure predictions to examine the relationship between dietary pesticide exposure and health outcomes in bigger populations.” (source) This isn’t the only study that’s examined the relationship between our food and pesticide accumulation in our body. A recent study conducted by researchers from RMIT university, published in the journal Environmental Research found that an organic diet for just one week significantly reduced pesticide exposure in adults by 90 percent. “A lot of these agents were initially developed as nerve gases for chemical warfare, so we do know that they have toxic effects on the nervous system at high doses. Conventional food production commonly uses organophosphate pesticides, which are neurotoxins that act on the nervous system of humans by blocking an important enzyme. Recent studies have raised concerns for health effects of these chemicals even at relatively low levels. This study is an important first step in expanding our understanding about the impact of an organic diet” (source) – Dr. Liza Oates, from RMIT’s School of Health Sciences Here is a link to more information on how the Roundup herbicide was recently found to be 125 times more toxic than regulators claim. Here is an article about how significant concentrations of glyphosate were found in the urine of people across Europe. Here is one about the roundup herbicide existing within 75% of air and rainfall test samples.
The list goes on and on. Scientists have shown how these pesticides are known to play a role in cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, autism, chronic kidney disease, birth defects and more. Below are a few newer articles that we have published on the subject (out of many) that are properly sourced if you’re interested.
These ones aren’t even a fraction of the articles that we have on the site covering these topics, so feel free to browse around if you are looking for more information, or links to more information. Another Groundbreaking Study Emerges Linking Agricultural Pesticides To Autism. And That’s Not All. What Parents Need To Know About Monsanto: “By 2025 One In Two Children Will Be Autistic.” New Study Links GMOs To Cancer, Liver/Kidney Damage Severe Hormonal Disruption “How could we have ever believed that it was a good idea to grow our food with poisons? Jane Goodall said it best, and many people in North America are starting to ask the same questions.
The entire globe has witnessed a fierce opposition to GMOs and the pesticides that are constantly sprayed on our food. In fact, pesticide use in the United States alone is over a billion pounds (sprayed) every year. A tremendous amount of literature has been published, both independent research as well as peer-reviewed publications, that clearly outline the dangers and potential dangers that GMOs and pesticides can have on human health and the environment. This is exactly why more than 60 countries around the world have completely banned them, or have very severe restrictions on them. GMOs and pesticides are not at all needed as they are claimed to be.
The Union of Concerned Scientists reminds us that GM crops are not guaranteed, as promised by company advertising.
They still fail to produce promised yields, and farmers are not permitted to save seeds due to the company’s patent. As a result, entire communities can be pushed to the brink of starvation. Every person on the planet can feed themselves with just 100 square feet of well managed land. In 2008, the UN Conference of Trade and development supported organics, saying that organic agriculture can be more conducive to food security in Africa than most conventional production systems, and is more likely to be sustainable in the long term. You can read that full report HERE. It’s absolutely ridiculous that organic food is so expensive. It makes no sense. It’s not right how humans have to pay for the basic necessities of survival.
There is more than enough to go around. Sources: (1) http://hs.boisestate.edu/blog/2015/02/09/ccurl/ (2) http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/advpub/2015/2/ehp.1408197.acco.pdf .
Read the full article at the original website
References:
- http://hs.boisestate.edu/blog/2015/02/09/ccurl/
- http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/advpub/2015/2/ehp.1408197.acco.pdf
- http://earthopensource.org/earth-open-source-reports/roundup-and-birth-defects-is-the-public-being-kept-in-the-dark/
- http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/our-failing-food-system/genetic-engineering/
- http://unctad.org/en/docs/ditcted200715_en.pdf
