Provided by Eat This, Not That! organic vegetables
In theory, eating organic food is something most of us would choose to do if given the chance. Organic products contain fewer traces of pesticides, they're better for the environment, and they're usually packed with more nutrients.
But skeptics note that buying organic comes at a much higher cost, and whether or not the benefits of eating organic actually outweigh the hefty grocery bill has been a point of debate for years.
Now, a new study is providing evidence of the benefits of organic eating that may convert the skeptics. Researchers from the environmental organization Friends of the Earth found that eating an organic diet for as little as six days can significantly reduce the amount of pesticide traces in the human body.
The peer-reviewed study published in Environmental Research found that people who ate an exclusively organic diet for six days had a 70% reduction in levels of glyphosate in the body. Glyphosate is a widely-used pesticide in the United States, and while the science about its long-term effects on the human body is still inconclusive, there have been several studies linking it to cancer. In fact, the FDA categorized the weed-killer as "probably carcinogenic to humans" in 2015.
The new study followed four families in different parts of the United States, and measured their levels of glyphosate while they were on their regular non-organic diet, followed by six days of eating an exclusively organic diet. The dramatic reduction in traceable pesticide in their systems has researchers optimistic about the rapid, measurable benefits of an organic diet.
"It's striking that levels of this toxic pesticide dropped so dramatically after less than a week. Given our results and related studies on how an organic diet rapidly reduces pesticide exposure, we could expect to see similar reductions in glyphosate levels in most Americans if they switched to an organic diet," said study co-author Kendra Klein, PhD, senior staff scientist at Friends of the Earth.
In America, the consumption of organic products is on a steady rise. Since 2010, the sales of organic foods has doubled, going from 3.4% of total food sales in the U.S. to 5.6% in 2019.
While almost half of Americans report purchasing organic food at least some of the time, for most, switching to an all-organic diet is still out of reach. And that's because on average, organic food costs about 7.5% more than its non-organic counterpart. To find out more about the benefits and costs of eating an organic diet, read our RD's opinion.
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This Diet Removes Toxic Chemicals from Your Body in Less Than a Week, Study Finds - MSN Money
