Reported February 20, 2006 Organic Diets Protect Children A new study reveals organic diets in children provide a dramatic and immediate protective effect against exposures to two pesticides commonly used in United States agricultural production. For the study, Chensheng Alex Lu, Ph.D., an Emory University researcher, and colleagues measured the exposure of two organophosphorus pesticides -- malathion and chlorpyrifos -- in 23 elementary students in the Seattle area by testing their urine. "Immediately after substituting organic food items for the children's normal diets, the concentration of the organophosphorus pesticides found in their bodies decreased substantially to non-detectable levels until the conventional diets were re-introduced," Lu says. Researchers say to ensure any detectable change in dietary pesticide exposure would be attributable to the organic food rather than the change in diet, the substituted organic foods were items the children would have normally eaten as part of their conventional diet. Organic food items were substituted for the conventional diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, juices, processed fruits or vegetables, and wheat-based or corn-based products such as pasta, cereal, popcorn, or chips. "Recent regulatory changes aiming to minimize children's exposures to pesticides have either banned or restricted the use of many organophosphorus pesticides in the residential environment. However, fewer restrictions have been imposed in agriculture," Lu says. According to the annual survey by U.S. Department of Agriculture Pesticide Data Program, organophosphorus pesticide residues are still routinely detected in food items that are commonly consumed by young children. This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/. SOURCE: Environmental Health Perspectives, published online Feb. 17, 2006 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.