AAP report cites lower pesticides in organic produce and
potentially lower risk of exposure to drug-resistant bacteria, but says the most
important thing for children is to eat a wide variety of produce, whether it’s
conventional or organic.
Parents know it’s important for children to eat a wide variety of fruits and
vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains. But it’s less clear
whether spending the extra money on organic foods will bring a significant
benefit to their children’s health.
To offer guidance to parents – and the pediatricians caring for their
children’s health – the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has conducted an
extensive analysis of scientific evidence surrounding organic produce, dairy
products and meat. The conclusion is mixed: While organic foods have the same
vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, proteins, lipids and other nutrients as
conventional foods, they also have lower pesticide levels, which may be
significant for children. Organically raised animals are also less likely to be
contaminated with drug-resistant bacteria because organic farming rules prohibit
the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics.
However, in the long term, there is currently no direct evidence that
consuming an organic diet leads to improved health or lower risk of disease.
However, no large studies in humans have been performed that specifically
address this issue.
“What’s most important is that children eat a healthy diet rich in fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products, whether those
are conventional or organic foods. This type of diet has proven health
benefits,” said Janet Silverstein, MD, FAAP, a member of the AAP Committee on
Nutrition and one of the lead authors of the report. “Many families have a
limited food budget, and we do not want families to choose to consume smaller
amounts of more expensive organic foods and thus reduce their overall intake of
healthy foods like produce.”
The report outlines the research that has been conducted on organic foods,
including convincing evidence of lower exposure to pesticides and less
contamination of livestock with drug-resistant bacteria.
“At this point, we simply do not have the scientific evidence to know
whether the difference in pesticide levels will impact a person’s health over a
lifetime, though we do know that children – especially young children whose
brains are developing – are uniquely vulnerable to chemical exposures,” said
Joel Forman, MD, FAAP, a member of the AAP Council on Environmental Health and
one of the lead authors of the AAP clinical report.
If cost is a factor, families can be selective in choosing organic foods,
Dr. Forman said. Some conventionally grown fruits and vegetables tend to have
lower pesticide residues. The AAP cites organic shopper’s guides like those
provided by
Consumer Reports and the
Environmental Working Group as references for consumers.
The AAP found no individual health benefit from purchasing organic milk,
but emphasizes that all milk should be pasteurized to reduce the risk of
bacterial infections. Raw milk increases the risk of serious infection with
bacteria including Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter and Brucella.
Purchasing meat from organic farms that do not use antibiotics for
nontherapeutic uses has the potential to reduce antibiotic resistance in
bacteria that infect people. The AAP calls for large, well-designed, prospective
cohort studies that directly measure environmental exposures such as estrogen at
low levels to understand the impact of hormonal exposure of children through
milk and meat.
The AAP report also notes that the motivation to choose organic produce,
meat and dairy products may be reasonably based on larger environmental issues,
as well as human health impacts like pollution and global climate change.
“Pediatricians want families to have the information they need to make wise
food choices,” said Dr. Forman. “We hope that additional research will improve
our understanding of these issues, including large studies that measure
environmental exposures and neurodevelopment.”
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Source: AAP Press Release
Image: freedigitalphotos.net
