• The researchers observed that switching to a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, legumes and grains (such as the Mediterranean diet) from conventional farming increases the presence of pesticides in the body.
• The amount of pesticides is reduced, however, by 91 per cent if the foods listed above come from organic farming.
• Consuming organic produce therefore allows people to follow a diet that is healthier for the body.

Following a dietary regime based on the Mediterranean diet brings many health benefits, yet it would also increase the level of pesticides in the body when the foods consumed come from conventional farming. This is revealed by an international study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which also suggests a solution: eating the foods recommended by the Mediterranean diet by choosing them organic.

Conventional and organic Mediterranean diet: the study on pesticides

The researchers analysed urine samples from a group of students who were asked to switch from their typical Western eating habits (low in plant-based content) to a Mediterranean diet that included more fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, fish and unsaturated fats such as those found in extra virgin olive oil and nuts, and, conversely, less meat, dairy and saturated fats.

The results showed higher levels of chemical substances in the urine when participants followed the Mediterranean diet. In particular, insecticides and organophosphates were present in quantities three times higher, and pyrethroids in quantities twice as high. The presence of substances in the urine was found, however, only in those following a Mediterranean diet based on foods from conventional farming, whereas in those who consumed organic fruit, vegetables and grains the contaminants were reduced by 91 per cent.

Choosing organic for a healthier diet with fewer pesticides

In other words, a Mediterranean diet based on conventional foods would result in a total intake of pesticides almost ten times higher than a Mediterranean diet composed predominantly of organic foods. "There is growing evidence from observational studies that the health benefits of increasing consumption of fruit, vegetables and wholegrains are partially diminished by the greater exposure to pesticides associated with these foods," explained Per Ole Iversen of the University of Oslo, one of the authors of the research. "Our study shows that consuming organic foods allows consumers to switch to a healthier diet, the Mediterranean diet, without an increase in pesticide intake."