Pesticides and Heavy Metals in Organic Food

Organics

Pesticides

Studies have been conducted to look at vitamin levels of food plants treated with certain pesticides. It was found that the application of some pesticides would significantly lower vitamin levels in the plants they were applied to. This shows that chemicals actually reduce the amount of nutrients in plants after application, and counters the idea that plants raised with chemicals are low in nutrients because of soil depletion.

The nutrients most often affected by pesticide application are vitamin C, beta carotene, and the B vitamins. These nutrients are vitally necessary for the body to withstand chemical toxins. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and has been well documented by two-time Nobel laureate Linus Pauling to prevent and treat cancers and heart disease. Beta carotene is a precursor to vitamin A which is beneficial for vision, immune function, embryonic development and reproduction, skin health, and reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer. The B vitamins are known to support and increase the rate of metabolism, maintain healthy skin and muscle tone, enhance immune and nervous system function, and reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal forms of cancer.

Heavy Metals

While studying organic food for mineral levels, researchers also looked for the amount of the heavy metals aluminum, cadmium, lead and mercury. Aluminum has been implicated for years in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Its content in organic food averaged 40% less that in commercial foods. Lead may cause irreversible neurological damage as well as renal disease, cardiovascular effects, and reproductive toxicity. It averaged 29% lower in organic foods. Mercury, which can damage the central nervous system and other organs such as the liver or gastrointestinal tract, averaged 25% lower in organic foods.