I try to eat more organic produce and products with the non-GMO (genetically modified) label. I can’t say the food tastes better or makes me feel healthier, but it’s good to know studies show that eating organic does help reduce glyphosate. This herbicide was first used back in the 1970s and has since been the go-to herbicide for many “conventional” and GMO (genetically modified) crops. It also helps control weeds in many urban public areas. Basically, when it comes to popularity with herbicides, this is the favorite world-wide. So what does glyphosate do and why is getting it out of your system a good thing? (1)

Glysophates And Cancer

According to studies, glyphosate levels in urine have increased more than five times in the U.S. from the time the herbicide was first used in the mid-1970s through to 2014. In fact, the presence of glyphosate in urine has increased by almost 600% in over 70% of the population. This is because people didn’t know how toxic the herbicide was for decades. It wasn’t until 2015 that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), (part of the World Health Organization), classified it as a “probable” human carcinogen. Scary. (1,2)

Organic Diets Help Reduce Pesticide Levels

The good news is, that if you have been enjoying more organic foods in your diet, studies have shown do lower levels of pesticide residues in the body. So what exactly are organic foods? Organic farms follow strict U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations, avoiding the use of a long list of about 900 pesticide active ingredients. (1)

Ongoing Studies For Organic Diets

One hopeful study regarding organic diets showed close to 70,000 adults with reduced cases of cancer. Decreased risk of diabetes was also reported as were improved outcomes for those undergoing fertility treatments. All these health improvements were related to an increase in organic food diets. (1)

The Organic Diets Study

The most interesting study involving families in Oakland, CA, Minneapolis, MN, Baltimore, MD, and Atlanta, GA took place from February to May 2017. Families participated for 12 days eating their conventional diet for days 1 to 5. They then entered the organic phase, eating certified organic foods for days 6 to 11. They replaced all foods including oils, spices, and even condiments. Subjects only drank water during the organic phase. (1)

The Organic Diets Results

Urine samples taken from subjects prior to the test showed 93.7 % with glyphosate and 97.9% with aminomethyl phosphonic acid (AMPA). Following the introduction of the organic diet phase, urinary glyphosate levels decreased by 70.93%, and AMPA levels decreased by 76.71%. As a result, the study finds an organic diet rapidly decreases urinary glyphosate and AMPA levels within just three days in both kids and adults. One important finding to note is also that in the pre-organic phase, kids had higher levels of glyphosate and AMPA than the adults. (1)

Even though the study was with a small group of families, it was actually part two of a two-part study. The first phase also indicated an organic diet leads to a quick, impressive reduction in a wide range of the pesticides commonly used in U.S. agriculture.  So it seems organic foods are worth the investment, especially for growing families. (1)