News Coverage
Are you poisoning your kid?
A new study shows high levels of pesticides in children who don't eat organic
Published June 30, 2003
IF YOU CHOOSE MOSTLY CONVENTIONAL fruits and vegetables rather than organic, you may be putting your child at risk for serious health problems. Children who consumed conventional produce and juice had six to nine times higher levels of pesticides in their systems than children who ate organic, according to a recent study in Environmental Health Perspectives. A child's diet was considered organic if 75 percent of his servings of fruits, vegetables, and juice was organic (the study did not consider meat, grains, or dairy).
Pesticides used on conventional produce can damage the nervous and hormonal systems and the thyroid gland, according to animal studies. Children are at greatest risk because they eat more relative to their size and their bodies aren't able to filter out chemicals as easily as adults do, explains Richard Wiles, senior vice president at the Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based research and advocacy organization. Shop Wisely for Produce The nonprofit Environmental Working Group found the highest levels of chemical residues in the following fruits and vegetables. If you can't buy organic all the time, at least choose organic when buying these 12 produce items (all forms of them, including juice).
Apples
Apricots
Bell Peppers
Cantaloupe (Mexican)
Celery
Cherries
Cucumbers
Grapes (Chilean)
Green Beans
Peaches
Spinach
Strawberries