While health-conscious individuals understand the benefits of eating fresh fruits and veggies, they may not be aware of the amount of pesticides they could be ingesting along with their vitamin C and fiber. A new study to be published in the Feb. 5 edition of Environmental Health Perspectives is among the first to predict a person's pesticide exposure based on information about their usual diet.

The study was led by Cynthia Curl, an assistant professor in Boise State University's School of Allied Health Sciences. She recently joined Boise State from the University of Washington.

Curl and her colleagues analyzed the dietary exposure of nearly 4,500 people from six U.S. cities to organophosphates (OPs), the most common insecticides used on conventionally grown produce in the United States. OP pesticides are linked to a number of detrimental health effects, particularly among agricultural workers who are regularly exposed to the chemicals.

Results showed that among individuals eating similar amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who reported eating organic produce had significantly lower OP pesticide exposures than those consuming conventionally grown produce. In addition, consuming those conventionally grown foods typically treated with more of these pesticides during production, including apples, nectarines and peaches, was associated with significantly higher levels of exposure.

"For most Americans, diet is the primary source of OP pesticide exposure," said Curl "The study suggests that by eating organically grown versions of those foods highest in pesticide residues, we can make a measurable difference in the levels of pesticides in our bodies."

This study included dietary data collected from participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a large, multi-institutional project funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute that is investigating factors that influence the onset of cardiovascular disease.

The researchers were able to predict each participant's exposure to OP pesticides based on the amount and type of produce each participant typically ate and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's measurements of pesticide residue levels on those foods. The researchers then compared these predictions to pesticide metabolite levels measured in urine samples from a subset of 720 of these people.

While Curl's study is not the first to link organic produce with reduced pesticide exposure, the method she used may have significant implications for future research. By combining self-reported information on typical food consumption with USDA measurements, researchers will be able to conduct research on the relationship between dietary pesticide exposure and health outcomes in bigger populations, without needing to measure urinary metabolites.

"If we can predict pesticide exposure using dietary questionnaire data, then we may be able to understand the potential health effects of dietary exposure to pesticides without having to collect biological samples from people," Curl said. "That will allow research on organic food to be both less expensive and less invasive."

"The next step is to use these exposure predictions to examine the relationship between dietary exposure to pesticides and health outcomes, including neurological and cognitive endpoints. We'll be able to do that in this same population of nearly 4,500 people," she said.

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Organic food reduces pesticide exposure

TIME Health toxins Eating Organic Produce Exposes You to Fewer Pesticides, Study Says Getty Images It might seem obvious, but there hasnt been a great deal of science to prove ituntil now

The recent debate over organic food has focused largely on nutrition. But the central question of whether organic is better for you than food grown conventionally might have at least as much to do with pesticide exposure as nutrient value.

At least, thats been the theory held by many organic advocates. And while it might seem obvious that eating organic food is a good way to avoid eating pesticides, there hasnt been a great deal of science to prove ituntil now.

A new study, published today in Environmental Health Perspectives, is the first and largest of its kind and it takes us a step closer to understanding the health risks of pesticide exposure by making a clearer connection between the food eaten and the pesticides present in the bodies of people who eat it. Using dietary exposure data from nearly 4,500 people in six cities, the study looked at organophosphates (OPs), one of the most widely used type of insecticides in the United States.

For the past three decades, overall use of OPs has declined. But recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data shows them to be among the top insecticides used on crops that include apples, peaches, and blueberries. According to the latest data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than 33 million pounds of OPs were used in the U.S. in 2007.

Treated crops include broccoli, cantaloupe, grapes, green beans, lettuce, nectarine, oranges, pears, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, mangoes, and onions. So if youre eating conventionally grown produce grown in the U.S., its more than likely that youve eaten some that was treated with OPs. Washing and/or peeling will remove some residues but not necessarily all for all fruit and vegetables.

Organophosphates have been shown to be toxic to the nervous system in people who are exposed to them directly. Breathing OPs can cause immediate acute adverse effects (headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, difficulty breathing). Long-term exposure can cause a range of neurological effects including memory loss, anxiety, and depression. Prenatal and childhood exposure has been shown to harm developing brains and result in lowered IQ and other cognitive problems. These effects have been studied primarily in farmworkers and their families and others living in agricultural communities and elsewhere that OPs have been used.

Numerous studies have shown OP exposure among people living and working where these insecticides are applied. But the EPA has also shown that among the general U.S. population, the primary route of exposure is through food. In its biomonitoring surveys, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found OPs in the urine of more than 75 percent of the U.S. population, indicating that exposure is indeed widespread.

What we dont yet know is whether adverse effects may be occurring in people exposed to OPs solely through food. The first step is to determine the connection between levels of OPs in the body and food actually eaten. Thats what Cynthia Curl set out to do.

Curl, an assistant professor in Boise State Universitys School of Allied Health Sciences and the lead author on this study, managed a research project while at the University of Washington known as the MESA air studythe Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. The MESA study, which began in 1999, was designed to investigate cardiovascular disease in six major U.S. metropolitan areas. The data Curl and colleagues used was from part of that study that was conducted between 2010 and 2012 with nearly 4,500 participants. Participants were already completing dietary questionnaires at multiple time points, explains Curl. We added questions about organic food consumption.

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Eating Organic Produce Exposes You to Fewer Pesticides, Study Says

New Delhi, Feb 04 (ANI): Being natural and chemical free, are the two aspects which people in India look for their eating habits today...Same is the case for Amit and Mridhu Mahajan, who believe that organic market has come a long way, developing its space in the national market. Their store 'Nirvaaha' is one such stop which offers variety of organic vegetables, pulses, spices, cooking oils and other organic products. They believe that the trend of health consciousness among consumers has led to bring upsurge in the organic food sector. With variant income groups and region of the country, consumers for organic food products are increasing day by day with their acute awareness from health hazards of chemicals and pesticides. Organic food market, which was considered as a niche segment by the Indian consumers, has now transformed into full-fledged industry with high growth potential. It has shown a growth at a CAGR of 30.7 per cent over the period of FY'2009-FY'2014. And, according to t

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Organic food industry picks up pace in india

ORGANISERS of the Clarence Valley's latest flagship event, Feast In The Field have taken up the challenge set down by Tourism Australia's latest campaign, Restaurant Australia, to ensure tourists also learn just how great the native, local and organic food is coming from the Clarence Valley.

Mike Smith, whose farm Organic Matters is hosting the event, said to embrace the tourism food theme Restaurant Australia we need to first have a conversation with our chefs, producers and suppliers to ensure a sustainable supply chain.

"To have this important business conversation we decided to host an industry session. This event will happen before our afternoon feast, where chefs can have the opportunity to meet and greet with local growers and suppliers, and establish their own business networks and relationships.

"It makes so much more sense to bring everyone together at the farm so chefs can learn first hand how and what to use to be creative in their new tourism food adventures".

Piggybacking on Tourism Australia's pitch to the world of a quality food experience using Australian cuisine, organisers of Feast in the Field promise food tourism will become just as an important part in the Clarence Valley tourism agenda as sport and culture.

"We positioned our food event during the Clarence Valley's plunge Festival because we know this event has a really good reputation and our committee see that month long festival going from strength to strength," Mr Smith said.

"The Clarence Valley has an extraordinary opportunity to be a unique food bowl and food destination because of our clean green image, but before that can happen we need to train up and inspire the chefs, and put in place a reliable framework for that to happen."

Feast in the Field head-line chef Clayton Donovan has his own TV series, is world-travelled and is Australia's only hatted indigenous chef.

He is a Gumbaynggirr man and has family ties in the Valley so is familiar with local food sources.

"Connecting him to the Yaegl primary producers will be an exciting opportunity for them too and in the long run everyone will benefit," Mr Smith said.

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Feast In The Field to make food tourism a big Clarence player