Millions of pounds of pesticides are used each year in the US: on farms, in buildings and homes, on lawns, in pet flea and tick products - basically everywhere. And so the pesticides eventually wind up in us - from the foods we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe (when pesticides drift during applications or when used indoors), and the treated lawns and ground we walk on.
We are continuously exposed to low levels of multiple pesticides, but it is unknown what this does to us. Recently, a study examined the effect of multiple pesticide exposures on gut health and found that they killed off many beneficial (good) bacteria and had harmful alterations on gut bacteria metabolism. Uh-oh.
Bottom line: Many studies show that we can quickly (within 2 weeks) reduce the amount of pesticides (pesticide residues) in our bodies by eating as many organic foods as possible. Also, use nontoxic IPM (Integrated Pest Management) in the home, and reduce pesticide use in and out of the home (on lawns and gardens).
From Beyond Pesticides: Study Maps the Gut Microbiome and Adverse Impacts of Pesticide Residues
Researchers developed a novel tool* in a recent study published in Nature Communications this year that successfully creates a map of the “pesticide-gut microbiota-metabolite network,” identifying “significant alterations in gut bacteria metabolism.”
...continue reading "The Pesticides We’re Exposed to Disrupt the Gut Microbiome"