Concentrations of pesticide metabolites and oxidative stress/inflammatory biomarkers during the conventional and organic periods of the "Organic diet and children's health" study

The two charts illustrate some of the results of the randomised clinical trial which was conducted in Cyprus as part of the “Organic diet and children’s health” study. In the study, urine samples from children aged 10-12 from schools in the Limassol area of Cyprus were analysed during two separate periods. During a 'conventional' period, participants were asked to maintain their usual dietary choices (>80% conventional diet) for a total of 40 days. During the 'organic period', participants were asked to follow strictly the two ~20-day sequential organic dietary menus provided to them for 40±3 days. Two urinary biomarkers were then measured by the researchers. The first were biomarkers of exposure to pyrethroid pesticides (3-phenoxybenzoic acid, 3-PBA), and neonicotinoid pesticides, (6-chloronicotinic acid, 6-CN). The second were biomarkers of oxidative stress/inflammation (8-iso-prostaglandin F2a [8-iso-PGF2a], malondialdehyde [MDA], and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine [8-OHdG]), which are considered as early-stage indicators for chronic conditions, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes or cancer. The left chart shows the measurements for the urinary biomarkers of oxidative stress/inflammation (8-OHdG), while the right chart shows those for the urinary biomarkers of pyrethroid pesticides (3-PBA). The results illustrate that the children had a lower body burden of pyrethroid pesticides and lower levels of oxidative stress/inflammation biomarkers during their 'organic period'. These results were statistically significant.