04
Feb
Study Demonstrates Health Benefits of Organic Diet Over That Consumed with Toxic Pesticides
(Beyond Pesticides, February 4, 2024) Adopting a fully organic diet can reduce pesticide levels in urine within just two weeks “by an average of 98.6%” and facilitate faster DNA damage repair relative to a diet of food grown with chemical-intensive practices, according to findings from a randomized clinical trial published in Nutrire. The authors explain that their finding “is likely due to two main factors: the presence of compounds characteristic of [an organic] diet, which may have high levels of antioxidants that can protect DNA and also induce DNA repair [], and the absence or decrease in the incidence of pesticides in this type of diet, which are recognized for their genotoxic effects and have the ability to affect the genetic repair system of organisms [].”
Public health professionals and affected families continue to sound the alarm on the unprecedented rates of chronic illnesses, many linked to pesticide exposure, as well as the urgency in developing solutions that acknowledge the connection to policies governing agriculture, nutrition policies, and public health.
Background and Methodology
The purpose of this study is to identify any relationships in health effects of chemical-intensive versus organic diets in a two week-period. More specifically, the authors say the purpose of the research is “to determine the content and concentration of insecticides, hepatic and protein indicators in the urine; analyze the genetic damage; and evaluate DNA repair capacities in the blood of persons who ate conventional diet compared to persons who ate organic diet.”
The study was conducted by a multidisciplinary team of researchers at the Federal University of Rio Grande in Rio Grande, Brazil. There were no competing interests declared from the authors, and they received funding support to carry out this study from the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (also known as CAPES Foundation) and National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.
This study is a double blind randomized controlled trial, meaning that neither the researchers nor the participants knew who was going to be assigned to each group, minimizing bias. The 14-day-study took place at the University in a location of the city “far from pesticide applications.” All participants were university students between 18- and 40-years-old and without chronic or non-communicable diseases or autoimmune diseases. Individuals who were breastfeeding, pregnant, or smoking/alcohol abuse habitats were excluded. Initially, each participant took part in a “7-day washout period” before the trial began, so both groups received the identical diet of food grown with chemical-intensive (conventional) practices. The conventional group consisted of 25 individuals, while the organic group consisted of 24 individuals. All food for the organic group was sourced from companies with organic certification, with fruit and vegetables sourced from certified local farmers. For both conventional and organic, main meals (lunch and dinner) were prepared by university staff and additional snacks/beverages were provided as requested by participants.
Blood and urine samples were gathered on the first day before the first meal and the fifteenth day of the study to assess potential differences in DNA damage [a comet assay measuring damage and repair markers at the microscopic level], which is the study’s metric for determining the extent to which organic or conventional diets can impact human health. The research identified 24 pesticides across all 49 participants in this study. See Table 2 (page 6 of 11) for more information on the insecticide classes and levels found both pre- and post-intervention.
Results and Main Findings
The authors conclude: “[A]n average reduction of 98.6% in pesticide levels was observed for the organic diet, while the average reduction for the conventional diet was 66.2%. Out of the 24 insecticides detected in the organic group, only three were found after the intervention (aldrin , fipronil, and mirex), while in the conventional group, the detected metabolites after the intervention were Phenothrin-1 and Phenothrin-2.” The researchers continue, “The levels of pyrethroid insecticides decreased from 4.6 µg/L to non-detectable levels in the organic group and increased from 0.18 to 0.34 µg/L in the conventional group.”
Advocates are concerned by these results given the persistence of banned pesticides, particularly organochlorine insecticides that take significantly longer to break down and offer chances to bioaccumulate, in the environment. For example, a 2021 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that long-term exposure to aldrin has been found to lead to increased risk of developing monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) (blood disease) that likely precedes multiple myeloma (blood cancer). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned mirex in 1978 due to possible links to cancer, based on findings at the time from various animal studies linking to cancer and the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s (IARC) designation of mirex as a probable carcinogen. (See here for the original EPA Health Effects Statement for further breakdown.) Fipronil is not a banned pesticide; in fact, it is one of the most commonly used insecticides used both indoors and in outdoor land management. (See here for Daily News on ecosystem impacts of fipronil.)
Those who followed the organic diet had a “higher percentage of DNA damage repair” after the two-week intervention. “In our study, the organic diet showed a significant increase in both DNA damage repair capacities () compared to the conventional diet, with a significant increase in base excision repair mechanism [the process of DNA glycosylase acting like genetic decomposers to cut and remove damaged lesions] (Table 4).”
There is a growing body of literature (see here, here, and here) that demonstrates the restorative properties of an organic diet.
Existing Research
Medical researchers have documented the linkages of toxic pesticide exposure and various adverse health effects. A 2023 study published in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology builds on existing research (here, here, and here) finding that long-term exposure to glyphosate can promote the occurrence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) through diet by causing liver inflammation and oxidative stress. Advocates continue to question the siloed approach of the food regulatory system given the findings of this 2023 study, in which the authors confirm that NAFLD occurred at levels within toxicological limits, which are doses of glyphosate classified as causing no adverse effects or No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL). Glyphosate’s impact on the gut microbiome has been the focus of investigation in several studies (Covered in Daily News here, here, here, and here), finding that it can disrupt healthy gut bacteria, lead to underlying immunological suppression due to its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, among other adverse neuroendocrinological impacts.
None of this surprises advocates, given the years of information from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Summary on pesticide residue data in the U.S. supply chain which show pesticide exposure through the food supply. A review of seven years of PDP data show that 20% of the foods tested pose a “high risk” to the public and 12 specific commodities are so dangerous that children or pregnant people should not eat more than one serving per day, according to Consumer Reports analysis. (See Daily News here.)
The rise in these adverse health effects do not exclusively pertain to glyphosate. In fact, there are many studies linking other chemicals and chemical mixtures playing a significant role in elevating avenues for risk. These health risks include potentially neurotoxic impacts and neurodevelopmental delay of children exposed pre- and postnatally to pyrethroid insecticides (see Daily News here), as well as long-term exposure to organophosphorus pesticides as a disruptor for the human gut microbiome (see Daily News here).
A 2019 study published in Environmental Health finds that pesticide+ residues are found four times as frequently in conventionally grown food as in organically produced counterparts. A separate study published in 2023 in Scientific Reports finds that plant-based diets might increase pesticide residue exposure compared to meat-heavy diets, finding that a plant-based diet that is nutritionally equivalent to a conventional omnivore diet may increase the risk of pesticide residue exposure. The study finds that a plant-based diet leads to an increase in consumption of dried fruit, legumes, soy, whole grains, vegetables, and oil, which–while nutritionally adequate–corresponds with an increase in pesticide residue exposure since fruits, vegetables, legumes, and cereals exhibit the highest levels of pesticide residues. Pesticides of concern that were identified and test for in these studies include neonicotinoids, organophosphates, pyrethroids, and 2,4-D.
In spite of the challenges that lay ahead, advocates remain optimistic given mounting research on the kaleidoscope of benefits of an organic diet. A 2023 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives finds urinary levels of glyphosate significantly decrease through an organic diet for pregnant individuals living further than 0.5km (~1640ft) from an agricultural field. However, the study finds that adopting an organic diet among pregnant individuals living closer than 0.5km to an agricultural area does not significantly decrease glyphosate levels, indicating alternative sources of contamination outside of diet. A 2020 study published in Environmental Research finds that glyphosate levels can be reduced by up 70% after just one week into a fully organic diet.
Take Action
Parents, physicians, and community members are relieved to know that shifting to an organic diet not only has been found to dramatically reduce pesticide residue levels in your body, but also supports your body’s genetic healing process. Consumers should not face the brunt of paying the price premium that comes with purchasing certified organic or regenerative organic products just to avoid poisoning themselves with potentially harmful residues.
See here to learn more about the health benefits of organic agriculture and criteria for land management systems. See here for a recent Action of the Week to tell U.S. EPA to completely review data for all registered pesticides. The deadline to submit a comment is February 10th at 11:59pm Eastern.
All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
Source: Nutrire
