Switching to an organic diet reduces exposure to pesticides

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Research released today from Environmental Research shows that switching from a conventional to an organic diet for less than a week reduces levels of pesticides in both children and adults. While previous studies on organic diet interventions have focused on organophosphate pesticides alone, this study tested for a broad range of pesticides including neonicotinoids. Researchers screened four families across the U.S. who consumed a purely conventional diet for six days, and then a purely organic diet (everything down to cooking oil and spices) for the next six days. They tested the urine from each family member multiple times throughout the conventional and organic diets. After the organic diet intervention, there was a significant reduction in 13 of the 14 detected pesticides and pesticide metabolite compounds. This study’s important work contributes to the growing body of research that shows how eating organic food can reduce exposure to pesticides associated with non-certified organic agriculture.