Most of us try to keep our toddlers away from sharp knives and the roofs of tall buildings. The health consequences are clear and immediate. Pesticides are a different matter. Our children can be exposed to pesticides and nothing seems to happen. Years later they may have fertility problems or Parkinsons disease, at which time our minds don't link the health problem with an exposure years earlier.
Pesticides are designed to interfere with the nervous systems of insects. Unfortunately they interfere with our nervous systems at the same time. The scientific literature has already established convincing associations between pesticide exposure and neurological diseases like Parkinson’s and muscular sclerosis.
How Do We Know That Pesticides Cause Problems
In a study published in Pediatrics, the urine of 1,139 children between the ages of 8 and 15 were tested for six pesticide metabolites. One hundred and nineteen of those children were diagnosed with ADHD.
The study found that children with a ten-fold increase in malathion metabolites (a pesticide found in head lice treatments) were 55 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, and those with higher than average levels of metabolites from dimethyl thiophosphate were 93 percent more likely to have ADHD compared to unexposed children.
The US Center for Disease Control published in 2009 their fourth extensive report on environmental toxins. The report shows that almost everyone in the US is carrying toxins in their blood.
Be Especially Aware of “Healthy” Berries
Our children are exposed to pesticides through foods (especially berries) and their environment, such as bug sprays in our homes and schools. According to MSNBC, one government report found malathion residue in:
- 28 percent of frozen (non-organic) blueberry samples
- 25 percent of fresh (non-organic) strawberry samples
A 2007 EU report on hazardous pesticides found that strawberries in particular contained “a poisonous blend” of no less than 14 different pesticides, five of which were known carcinogens, and three suspected endocrine disruptors.
How Do You Protect Your Child?
Eat locally-grown organic produce whenever possible. This will save you money by reducing overall health costs. An EU study found that:
- Organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants
- Organic produce had higher levels of beneficial minerals like iron and zinc
- Milk from organic herds contained up to 90 percent more antioxidants
A 2003 study in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry found that organic foods are better for fighting cancer. And in 2005, scientists found that, compared to rats that ate conventional diets, organically fed rats experienced various health benefits, including:
- Improved immune system status
- Better sleeping habits
- Less weight and were slimmer than rats fed other diets
- Higher vitamin E content in their blood (for organically fed rats)
But Organic Is So Expensive! Yes, but so is ADHD, Parkinsons and MS. Look at the overall cost, both of food and of medical care. If you really can't afford organic, locally grown produce, or if it isn't available to you, at least avoid the foods with the greatest level of pesticides, and soak your fruit and veggies in a bleach or vinegar solution before using them.
The foods with the highest levels of pesticides are: Peaches, Cherries, Apples, Lettuce, Sweet bell peppers, imported grapes, Celery, Pears, Nectarines, Spinach, Strawberries, and Potatoes. See the Environmental Working Group for more details on food contamination.
Additional Recommendations
avoid processed food since they contain lots of chemicals that make us sick
use natural cleaning products around your home.
use natural baby products. See the SkinDeep website.
avoid ordinary bug repellents. Use Neem-based products.
