Organic or Not?

Everything put in and on our infant affects their health. From day one we should safeguard our child from harmful chemicals. Pesticides are designed to kill insects, bacteria and fungi. If they are ingested they interfere with our own immune and endocrine systems.

Pesticides in large amounts are lethal to humans. But even in small amounts they have been shown in studies to cause cancers, effect neurologic development, decrease immune function and disrupt the endocrine system. Not only are these pesticides in our food, they remain in the soil and make their way into our water. Their effects and impact are far reaching. 

If possible grow your own food without pesticides. Pick ingredients for your meals from the garden. There is nothing better than garden to table. Even if you are an urban dweller, planters growing vegetables can serve as ornaments as well as food. 

Buy organic especially of the ‘dirty dozen’. This does not mean it has to be certified organic. Certification is costly and many small farms cannot afford to certify.  If you are able, buy locally from small farms that you know have organic practices. If it is not possible to buy organic, choose foods not grown organically that use less pesticides.

Ongoing research shows that when possible, breastfeeding moms should choose an organic diet to avoid the pesticide residue that may contaminate their breast milk. Eating a diet loaded with fruits, vegetables, and healthy protein is important because what you eat will make its way to your breast milk. But if those foods are full of pesticides that will also be secreted in the milk. 

Researchers have found that breast milk may contains a “serious dose” of pesticide. Pesticides are reaching the human body by way of biomagnification. The feed being given to animals  contains residues of pesticides. The residues are then in  the animal’s milk, which enters the human body by way of consumption. Accumulation of fat-soluble chemicals in the human mother’s body produces milk laced with pesticides, which is later magnified ten times when the infant is fed.

Avoid nonorganic foods from the Dirty Dozen.  This is an annual ranking put out by the Environmental Working Group of the fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues. The latest list is below.

1+. raisins (99% of those tested have several pesticide contaminants)

1. Strawberries

2. Spinach

3. Kale

4. Nectarines

5. Apples

6. Grapes

7. Peaches

8. Cherries

9. Pears

10. Tomatoes

11. Celery

12. Potatoes

Fresh is best. Especially when it comes to making baby food. If you are unable to find organic versions from the Dirty Dozen list locally to make your own, try these.

The Clean Fifteen rankings include a list of the least contaminated produce items. These are foods you can generally feel okay about eating nonorganic or conventionally grown. They are:

1. Avocados

2. Sweet corn

3. Pineapple

4. Onions

5. Papaya

6. Sweet peas (frozen)

7. Eggplants

8. Asparagus

9. Cauliflower

10. Cantaloupes

11. Broccoli

12. Mushrooms

13. Cabbage

14. Honeydew melon

15. Kiwifruit

The Alliance for Food and Farming is one of the most active industry advocacy groups and offers a Pesticide Residue Calculator showing the amount of a fruit or vegetable a person would have to eat to reach the Environmental Protection Agency’s minimum risk threshold. SafeFruitsandVeggies.com has published a ‘A Dozen Reasons: Why eating both conventional and organic produce is the right choice for your family’.

Feed your family as few pesticide laced foods as possible. This is most important in nursing mothers and in young children. Grow your own food. Buy from local farmers with sustainable practices. If you cannot buy organic, choose foods from the clean 15. Organic food may be more expensive up front but the cost of poor health will ultimately be greater.