In a new series of articles on nutrition and the mind, Belinda Rennie looks at the benefits of organic foods for growing minds.

The growth of organic foods in Dubai as a result of the Organic Foods and Cafe shops has been a giant step forward for parents wanting their children to eat pesticide, antibiotic, hormone, additive and GMO free food. Children need organic food the most. Their small body size and immature and developing brains, organs and detoxification and immune systems makes them more susceptible to toxins and additives in food. Eating mostly organic foods, according to a study done on American toddlers in 2003 reduced pesticide residues in urine by one sixth, lowering the children's exposure from above to below recognised safety levels.

Heavy metals, pesticides and food additives in conventional food can affect neurological development by blocking chemical messenger pathways in the brain, promoting neural cell damage, blocking nutrient uptake and overwhelming detoxification systems. Elizabeth Gillette's landmark 1998 paper in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives showed how a combination of low-level environmental, household and dietary exposure caused subtle yet measurable developmental deficits in children

Gillette compared children in two nearby isolated villages in Mexico, one in which pesticides were routinely used in their farming, and one in which they were not. Everything else was the same between these two villages – genes, diet, lifestyle, climate and culture. To measure cognitive development anthropological assessment tools were used, including eye-hand coordination, short-term memory, and the ability to draw a person.

What the study found was an impaired cognitive development in the children in the village that routinely used pesticides, as demonstrated by these efforts by four and five-year olds to draw a person (see figures below). The drawings on the left are by four and five – years olds from the village in the foothills, where pesticides were notused (drew an average of 4.4 body parts), while those on the right are by children of the same age from the village in the valley (drew an average of 1.6 body parts), where children are exposed to pesticide residues in their diet, homes and the environment.

Most safety levels for pesticides and other harmful chemicals are set for individual pesticides. Yet research is emerging confirming that a cocktail of chemicals can increase the toxicity by one hundred fold resulting in nervous system effects far greater than the individual components. This is similar to the “Blue Smartie” effect. Nestle Rowntree stopped making blue smarties shortly after release of research into the toxic 'cocktail of additives' in children's' foods.

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Food Additives

In March 2006 the Soil Association presented the results of a three-year study, on the effects of combining four common food additives. The researchers at the University of Liverpool examined the toxic effects on nerve cells by using a combination of the following four common food additives:

E133 Brilliant Blue with E621 monosodium glutamate (MSG) and

E104 Quinoline Yellow with E951 L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester (aspartame).

The mixtures of the additives had a much more potent effect on nerve cells than each additive on its own. The effect on cells was up to four times greater when Brilliant Blue and MSG were combined and up to seven timesgreater when Quinoline Yellow and Aspartame were combined. The study shows that when the nerve cells were exposed to MSG and Brilliant Blue or Aspartame and Quinoline Yellow the additives stopped the nerve cells from normal growth and interfered with proper signalling systems.

It is not surprising that a artificial colourings and preservatives in food and drink are thought to contribute to hyperactivity in children, and while many still contest this issue, a recent study in the UK found that the proportion of hyperactive children halved when additives were removed from their diets. The Hyperactive Children's Support Group lists a number of additives that they recommend should be excluded from children's diets (click here for a list of food additives to avoid).

Organic food - a no-brainer

Many parents of sensitive children know that food additives are a problem. As one Dubai mother reflects, “Eight months ago I changed my rather hyperactive 8-year old daughter onto a preservative, artificial flavours and colour-free diet.  Not so easy when buying foodstuffs from ordinary supermarkets as I ended up spending ages reading labels and most of the time being disappointed with their contents.  The only way to do it was the organic way.  Since going 'organic' my daughter has calmed down, pays more attention at school, sleeps better and has become interested in what she eats. She is open to a wider variety of foods that she would otherwise have turned her nose up at” (Personal communication 24/6/06).

Organic food minimizes the use of food additives and prohibits all artificial flavours, colours and sweeteners as well as MSG, hydrogenated fats, phosphoric acid and sulphur dioxide. Focusing on organic diets can benefit many children especially those with learning challenges, ADHD and autistic spectrum disorders. A Dubai father who has a ten year old son with autism said their life had changed after introducing organic foods. "When we first changed to the organic approach, his condition got more severe. But gradually it has improved greatly. He is now able to show affection and responds to us as any child does. He sleeps well and his hyperactivity is far less," he said ( www.gulfnews.com . article appeared 26/1/2006)

Where to start

Encouraging children to eat a range of foods to support their growing minds is easier when organic food is big on taste. Organic fruit and vegetables have fabulous flavour partly because they have been left to ripen naturally and are nourished by healthy, rich soils. As a result they have higher levels of antioxidants A and C and trace minerals like selenium, manganese, iodine and magnesium which support healthy nervous system development.

Introducing organic food into your family's diet can begin with substituting the staple foods like breads, cereals and grains with organic ones. Start with organic fruits and vegetables that your children eat regularly like apples and cucumbers and those that are highly sprayed like delicate salad leaves, berries, grapes and soft fruits (peaches, nectarines, plums). Then add foods at the top of the food chain such as dairy products, eggs and meats that concentrate pesticides and other chemical nasties.

Can people afford it? Most average families in Dubai would spend far more on junk food, eating out and recreation than on fruit and vegetables. In fact, preparing and eating organic wholefoods for a family of four can be cheaper than eating a processed food diet over a week ( www.mercola.com ). The benefits of eating organically can have a major impact on the mind, body and spirit of a child. The more they are exposed to organic food the more they can understand that this is how food is supposed to be.

References: www.soilassociation.com , www.whyorganic.org, Organic food quality and you by Shane Heaton. For more information go to www.foodforthebrain.org

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