Pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene writes in his 2008 article "Organic Choice for Our Children" that pesticides can harm children's health, and the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 requires a 10-fold margin of safety for food sprayed with pesticides to protect children. Yet, since the use of pesticides is still relatively new, the long-term effects of exposing your children to them are unknown, even when meeting the safety requirements by law. Dr. Greene recommends a well-rounded diet of organic food that will help your kids develop healthy internal organs, bones, muscles and brains as well as strengthen their immune systems.
Organic Milk and Dairy Products
Kids need at least 3 cups of low-fat milk per day, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The milk should be organic, because non-organic milk comes from cows that have been treated with antibiotics and growth hormones that will disrupt your child's hormonal cycle, potentially causing premature puberty. Other dairy products, such as yogurt and cheese, should also be organic.
Organic Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables provide kids with vitamins and minerals essential to the proper development of their growing bodies. Conventionally grown vegetables and fruits are treated with a variety of chemicals that help farmers keep away insects and fungi but also are toxic to humans when ingested over extended periods of time. Such is the case with acephate, which is sprayed onto fruits as well as potatoes and beets, and, according to a report by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has been detectable in food sold for human consumption. According to the University of California Davis Environmental Toxicology Department, exposure to acephate can cause central nervous system impairment, heartburn, heart block, chest tightness and death due to respiratory failure, so serve your kids organic produce.
Organic Meat
Meat provides children with needed protein for their growth. The U.S. Department of Agriculture states that organic meat reduces the risk for your child to be exposed to mad cow disease as well as arsenic residues in chicken meat. Giving your children organic meat also reduces their exposure to the hormones given to conventionally raised cattle and chicken to make them plumper and fatter. According to the website Sustainable Table, children are more susceptible than adults to negative health effects caused by hormone residues in beef, which may include early onset of puberty in girls.
Organic Grains
Grains such as rice supply your kids with necessary fiber for a healthy digestive system. As with fruits and vegetables, organic grains have fewer traces of toxic chemicals that can affect your child's immune system and overall health.
References
- Dr. Greene: Organic a Choice for our Children
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Milk Matters
- True Health: Pesticides in Our Daily Food
- University of California Davis Environmental Toxicology Department: Acephate
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Should I purchase organic foods?
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