Another Reason to Go Organic

                            Crop Dusting Helicopter-(Ironically Beautiful)

Not to be overly dramatic, but toxic chemicals in our food may be messing with our kid's heads.  

The newest addition to the growing list of reasons to choose organic food: high urinary organophosphate concentrations have been linked to twice the incidence of ADHD in children 8-15 years old.  Organophospates (OP), which are used in agriculture precisely because they attack the nervous system of insects, are known to accumulate in human tissues, though its often believed to be in low enough levels to not impact our health.  We are, afterall, a lot bigger than insects.  But if size matters, than wouldn't our children be the canaries in the coal mine?   A new study in the journal Pedriatrics, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Pesticides, explores the high rates of ADHD and pesticide metabolites.   From the authors:

WHAT’S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Exposure to organophosphates has been associated with adverse effects on neurodevelopment, such as behavioral problems and lower cognitive function. Studies have focused, however, on populations with high levels of exposure, relative to the general population.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: We conducted a study with 1139 children 8 to 15 years of age, representative of the US population. The findings showed that children with higher urinary levels of organophosphate metabolites were more likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD.

So what does this mean for eaters?  Though this study has not shown a causal relationship (meaning we can't say that OPs cause ADHD) I do think it is better to be safe than sorry. I whole heartedly recommend choosing foods grown without toxic pesticides (or at least those grown without a lot of pesticides or those that are known to have lower residues of pesticides.)  The Environmental Working Group has published a list, called the Dirty Dozen, of the twelve typically most  contaminated fruits and veggies: peaches, strawberries, apples, domestic blueberries, nectarines, cherries, imported grapes, celery, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale, collard greens and potatoes.  These foods would be best to buy organic or to grow naturally in your own garden plot. The foods found by the EWG to have the least pesticide residue, the Clean Fifteen, (sixteen are actually listed) are onions, sweet corn, sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, eggplant, sweet potatoes, avocados, pineapples, mangoes, kiwi, domestic cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit and honeydew.

Sustainable Nutrition Bottom-line:  Eat your organic veggies and fruits and plenty of them!  For a clear explanation of what organic means and many more reasons why you might want to choose organic, read the past blog post, "Is Organic Better for You?".  For those folks who don't have the extra money for pesticide free food at the market, consider growing your own.  Check out Kitchen Gardeners International or the Milwaukee's own Victory Garden Initiative for more information and gardening resources.