People choose to eat organic and live an organic lifestyle for a variety of reasons. Common reasons include:
- Increased nutritional value.
- Decreased exposure to pesticides and other chemicals to eliminate health risks.
- Taste and flavour.
- Organic farming and processing are better for the environment.
According to the Organic Facts website, organic food provides four direct health benefits and three social and environmental benefits. Organic food helps prevent cancer, improves the immune system, prevents premature ageing, and reduces the risk of heart disease.
Organic practices also preserve the environment for the health and safety of future generations and enhance animal welfare.
Farmers use pesticides to protect their crops and grow bigger fruits and vegetables. The tradeoff for this benefit is human and environmental health. Cancer, birth defects, obesity, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, infertility, and autism have all been linked to pesticide exposure.
Eating an organic diet lessens a person’s direct exposure to pesticides’ harmful effects. Organic farming protects those working on farms and living near them at the same time.
According to Greenthinkers, by avoiding the top 12 contaminated foods, you can lower your pesticide exposure by a whopping 90%!
Human tolerance levels for pesticides are calculated for individual pesticides, and while surveys show that Americans believe laws limit the number of different pesticides allowed on food, in reality, almost 1/3 of fruits and vegetables tested by the USDA have two or more different pesticide residues.
Pesticides are, simply put, bad for human health and the environment. They have been linked to cancer, neurological damage, hormone disruption and developmental issues and learning disabilities in children as well as birth defects.
They also have similar negative effects on wildlife and have been linked to the declining global bee population; bees are responsible for pollinating an extensive list of fruits, vegetables, bean plants, and nut trees. Without pollination, the fruits of trees and other plants do not develop for humanity to harvest and eat.
According to the Natural Resource Defence Council, the state of California tracked 7,600 pesticide exposure poisoning cases from 2000 to 2008. Some of these cases were experienced by agricultural workers while others took place in homes, gardens, golf courses, and school yards. The agricultural related poisonings and the non-agricultural poisoning were split approximately half-and-half.
Consumer Reports’ special report “Pesticides in Food” further supports Americans’ growing concern regarding the integrity of their food supply.
Pesticide exposure has been linked to various medical conditions. While the USDA assures us that pesticide residue on produce, poses no threat to our health, a survey conducted by Consumer Reports found that 85% of more than 1,000 people polled said they were concerned about pesticides on their fruits and vegetables.
The World Health Organization estimates that about 3 million people suffer from some form of pesticide poisoning each year, causing about 220,000 deaths. While this mostly occurs in undeveloped countries where pesticides are not as regulated as in the US, we do get fruits and vegetables imported from other countries. Two examples are the 97% of imported nectarine samples that were found by the EWG to have at least 1 pesticide residue and imported snap peas that’s samples were found to have 13 different pesticides residues.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that there are 29 pesticides in the average American human body.
According to the CDC and the EPA, 60% of us will test positive for at least seven known pesticides.
Insecticides like organochlorine-mediated insecticides have been known to cause these conditions in farmworkers who were exposed to them and those who make them:
- Unusual Sensations Around The Mouth
- Dizziness
- Light, And Sound Hypersensitivity
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Confusion
- Tremors And Nervousness
Organophosphates are also common insecticides and exposure can cause symptoms related to excessive acetylcholine in the system, which causes low blood pressure, pupillary constriction, increased salivation, excessive perspiration, nausea, diarrhoea, fatigue, and muscle weakness.
While pyrethroids were made to replace the more dangerous organophosphates, they too cause various health problems, such as incoordination, tremors, aggressive behaviour, seizures, and excitability when absorbed into the skin.
Many experts believe that Americans have a greater exposure to pesticides than has been found through research.
As one example of how what we don’t know can hurt us is the case of the insect killer chlorpyrifos that was marketed by Dow™ Chemical beginning in 1965. In 1995, Dow was fined $732,000 by the EPA because they concealed more than 200 reports of poisonings from chlorpyrifos. The fine was paid, and they stopped using chlorpyrifos in household products and while today it is classified as extremely toxic to freshwater fish, birds and as moderately toxic to mammals, it is still used in food and non-food crops, in plant nurseries, and on wood products.
How can this happen? Hard to believe, but true.
One of the greatest obstacles is that there is no effective system between the manufacturing end and government laws and guidelines for testing safety of chemicals and pesticides in humans before they are released for use. The Centres For Disease Control is investigating the risk to humans from pesticides, but more research is needed to fully understand their effects.
The fact that more studies are needed as to the effect of pesticide exposure through food on human health does not mean serious health risks do not exist.
Health Risks To Children
The World Health Organization has done some studies on pesticide risks to kids and it was found that high levels of organophosphates such as those obtained from unwashed fruits and vegetables caused impairment in intelligence and neurological conditions.
Consumer Reports states that apart from farmworkers, kids are that the highest risk of pesticide exposure, primarily because a child’s metabolism is still developing and slower than an adult’s so the toxins remain longer in their bodies where they can do more damage.
In April of 2014, Dr. Philippe Grandjean of Harvard University and Dr. Philip Landrigan, dean of global health at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Manhattan called pesticide exposure to kids a “silent epidemic” in a prestigious medical journal.
Twelve chemicals were named that are present in our environment, clothing and even furniture that they believe to not only cause lower IQ, but ADHD and autism spectrum disorder and pesticides used in agriculture were on the list. They reported that 45 organophosphate pesticides on the market have the potential to damage a child’s developing nervous system.
According to, Landrigan pesticides can impair the fragile developmental process in children, starting in the womb. In addition, since kids eat more food in ratio to their body weight than adults do the risk is magnified where even small amounts can negatively affect their brain chemistry during critical stages of the development process.
Human Studies On Kids And Pesticides
Studies have been done on the long-term effects of pesticides in children, particularly organophosphate exposure. Organophosphates are believed to have a negative effect on the nervous system by being antagonists of acetylcholinesterase, which is an enzyme that controls the firing of nerve cells causing depression of the nervous system, which can affect the brain development of children.
Three major studies on organophosphates linked maternal exposure to organophosphates in pregnancy and learning/memory activity in their children:
- A Columbia University study found decreases in IQ and memory in seven-year-old kids were seen with exposure in utero to clorpyrifos, an organophosphate pesticide. While it’s been banned by the EPA for residential use, kids are still exposed through contaminated produce.
- Another study of 8 to 15 year olds reported that subjects with the highest urinary levels of a marker for exposure to organophosphates had twice the odds of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as compared to those who had no detectable levels.
- A Mount Sinai Medical Center study showed that prenatal organophosphate exposure in kids caused perceptual reasoning deficits.
- More research from the University of California, Berkeley, found that kids born from women in a Latino farm community who had elevated levels of organophosphate exposure suffered from lower IQs when compared to women who did not have high levels of pesticide exposure.
In 2012, Dr. David Bellinger, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, published a paper in the National Institute of Health that detailed a comparison of IQ points in kids whose mothers were exposed to neurotoxin pesticides during their pregnancies, with the children of moms who were not. In his calculations, he reported a loss of more than 16.9 million IQ points in children as a result of exposure to the most commonly used pesticides in food crops, organophosphates.
A 2012 American Academy of Pediatrics report stated their finding that children have distinctive and unique vulnerabilities to pesticide residues and their potential toxicity:
The report cited a variety of research studies that linked pesticide exposures in early life to decreased cognitive function, pediatric cancers, and various behavioral problems.
The report advised its members, pediatricians and other health care provides to advise parents to consult reliable sources of information in regards to pesticide residue concentrations on produce and consider their buying choices. The report recommended the Environmental Working Group’s™ Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ as a reliable and key source of information on the topic.
Increased Nutritional Value
Scientists and doctors acknowledge an increase in specific nutritional components of organic foods when compared to conventionally grown items.
A study completed by The Organic Center shows organic food contains higher levels of antioxidant capacity, polyphenols, quercetin, and kaempferol along with flavonoids found in tea, tomatoes, and citrus.
These nutrients fight inflammation, support cellular, and immune system health.
Grass fed and pasture raised livestock show a much improved nutritional profile (as compared to traditionally grain fed animals raised for human food supply), and is found in beef, chicken, eggs and milk that comes from those animals.
In July of 2014, the British Journal of Nutrition published a summary of research completed by American and European scientists. The group analyzed 343 studies comparing the nutritional values of organic and conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. They found organic produce and foods containing organic ingredients contain higher antioxidant values than conventionally cultivated produce.
Health wise the primary benefit of consuming organic foods is currently decreased pesticide exposure. While some organically grown fruits, vegetables and grains may present pesticide contamination due to water pollution, packaging and soil drift, conventional food items remain four times more likely to contain pesticide residues and at much higher levels. It is more important to eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables than to minimize them in order to avoid exposure. Resources like the Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ provide key information for consumers to choose their best options.
Environmental Health
Organically cultivated produce, eggs, and livestock significantly decrease the negative impacts of agriculture on the environment. Organic practices preserve soil health, crop diversity, and water quality. They also protect the people and the animals living and working on and near the farms and ranches, which bring food to our tables.
Over the last ten years, 40% of the honeybee colonies in the U.S. have died off from Colony Collapse Disorder. Disoriented bees are unable to find their way back to their hives or return to die from pesticide poisoning; they may also contaminate the rest of the hide by bringing back pesticide-laden pollen.
Honeybees pollinate over 60 common crops without them our food supply would lose variety and significant nutritional value
Wildlife also suffers the ill effects of pesticides. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service acknowledge the responsible use of pesticides as part of general agricultural operations while cautioning farmers and consumers to minimize their use.
In Their List Of Pesticide Related Facts The FWS Notes:
- 90% of samples from major rivers and streams showed two or more pesticides in the water: the same in over 80% of the fish from these waterways and 33% of major aquifers were contaminated.
- The decline of amphibians and emerging deformities in the group has been linked to pesticides.
- The decline of major pollinators like bees and other beneficial insects have been linked to pesticide use.
- Bird and Fish also showed significant die-offs in response to the sanctioned use of pesticides for farming and gardening.
In responses to these developments, the Environmental Protection Agency established the Pesticide Registration Review in 2008. The program performs evaluations of the effects of pesticides on the species listed under the Endangered Species Protection Program.
Avoiding Antibiotics Fed To Cattle
While the levels of antibiotic exposure experienced by consumers may be minimal as the FDA claims, it is pervasive and consistent. The true danger lies in the effects of continually treating livestock with preventative doses of antibiotics. It increases the likelihood of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria developing which can find their way into the human population.
Avoiding Chemical Additives
Chemical additives also negatively affect the health and well-being of consumers. They have been linked to cancer, asthma, hyperactivity in children and hormonal imbalances. They are used to extend the shelf life of processed foods as well as improve flavor and texture.
When purchasing prepared or shelf-stable food items, look for all natural ingredients, minimal processing, natural preservatives like salt or citric acid as well as no artificial coloring or flavors.
Organic food also tends to taste better; it is more likely to be locally sourced, quickly taken to market and contain higher levels of flavor inducing nutrients.
Conventionally grown produce tends to have a prominent bitter taste that is attributed to pesticide residue on the skin.
Organic farmers also cultivate a wider variety of fruits, vegetables, and livestock–often including heirloom varieties in their inventories. These provide a cornucopia of tastes, shapes, and flavor for modern diners to enjoy along with their often superior nutritional values.
For example, purple potatoes, which originated in Peru and Bolivia contain nutritional values similar to that of a Russet potato, but also offer four times the antioxidant content. Its purple pigment, anthocyanin, also acts as an antioxidant. Its flavor is robust with a mild nutty quality.
Avoid GMOs
Genetically Modified Organisms on the market have been deemed safe for consumption, however:
The long-term effects of cellular level genetic manipulation in food remain largely unknown
While analogous, the processes of hybridization and genetic modification are not the same. Inserting a bacterial insecticide, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt-toxin), into the genetic material of a plant is not the same and cross-pollinating different plant species and the ramifications may be significantly more far reaching.
The Institute for Responsible Technology cites evidence of the dangers of GMOs using animal studies and human anecdotal evidence.
- Animals grazing on Bt-toxin GMO cotton died by the thousands in India
- Rats eating Bt-toxin GMO soy became infertile after three generations
- Soy allergies in the United Kingdom increased by 50% following the introduction of GMO soy
Other concerns include the effect of Bt-toxin on human intestinal flora if it should transfer as well as the development of superbugs related to GMOs modified with antibiotics.
While many organic options cost more than their conventional alternatives, they are clearly worth the investment. In addition, this cost divide is shifting as more consumers seek out healthy alternatives to conventionally grown foods, synthetic household cleaning supplies, and additive laden personal products.
Many traditional store chains stock organic and natural items to meet this demand. In addition, emerging conventional grocery store chains such as Trader Joe’s and Sprouts cater to health and environmentally conscious shoppers on a budget.
Purchasing through organic cooperatives and buying from local farmers and producers of organic and natural products can significantly cut costs.
Photo by THE ORGANIC CRAVE Ⓡ on Unsplash
