What the pesticides in our urine tell us about organic food

Does organic make a difference? The results say yes, a big difference

This peer-reviewed study led by researchers at University of California, Berkeley and Friends of the Earth, tracked pesticide levels in 4 families from across the country for 2 weeks. The first week, the families ate their typical diets of non-organic food; the following week, they ate completely organic. Urine samples taken during the study were tested for pesticides and the chemicals pesticides break down into, called metabolites.

The results? Of the 14 chemicals tested, every single member of every family had detectable levels. After switching to an organic diet, these levels dropped dramatically. Levels across all pesticides dropped by more than half on average. Detectable levels for the pesticide malathion, a probable human carcinogen according to the World Health Organization, decreased a dramatic 95% .