ADHD, Pesticides and Tips to Reduce Your Exposure

Studies have shown that pesticides contribute to ADHD, even at low levels of exposure. The organophosphate chemicals (the pesticides studied) are known to cause damage to the nerve connections in the brain – that’s how they work on the pests they prevent! In fact, the dysfunction of a specific neurotransmitter, acetylcholinesterase, has been implicated in ADHD, which just happens to be the same neurotransmitter that these pesticides disrupt!

Technically, these studies have not actually shown a causal relationship, just an association in incidences. While studies must still be done to confirm an actual causal link, pesticides are definitely one of the contributing factors to the toxicity of our bodies. It’s just one more piece of the puzzle to figuring out why our children are being diagnosed with this problem in greater and greater numbers.

Eating a diet concentrated in organic, whole foods with a high content of fresh, raw fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds is ideal. But what if you can’t get something organic or if they are just too expensive for you right now? There are options!

I’d like to share some tips and resources with you.

1. Check out the “Dirty Dozen” list of the top offenders with the highest amounts of pesticides and “Clean 15” list of the safest produce to eat, brought to you by the EWG (Environmental Working Group). This list is great to help you choose wisely for your budget. If all organic all the time is not an option, save your money on the “Clean 15” list and always choose organic (if available) from the “Dirty Dozen.”

(I absolutely love the resources from EWG, so while there, check out all their content! The information on children’s health, consumer products, and “body burden” is very enlightening and helpful – don’t miss it!)

2. Remember that packaged and processed foods contain not only added chemicals and unnatural ingredients, but they are made with non-organic ingredients, unless you buy those labeled as organic. The more you can reduce these products in your diet, the less your exposure will be!

3. If you do buy conventional produce (grown with pesticides), then wash it with a produce wash! It won’t take care of all the pesticides since some are absorbed into the fruit or vegetable, but it will remove a large percentage of the external pesticide residues. It is important to take care of what is in that wash, too!

My favorite wash that I use in my own home is from Enviro-One, a plant-based 100% non-toxic soap concentrate. You can get it pre-diluted in a spray bottle ready for Fruit and Vegetable Wash or you can buy the concentrate for much less per portion.

The best part about Enviro-One is that it’s a multi-use cleaning concentrate that will surprise you how great it cleans in every use! As a non-toxic cleaning product, it eliminates many more toxins that are usually found in the home. It is a must-have for my home and family.

4. Finally, I’d like to remind you that pesticides are not only in our food, but in the products we put on our bodies, along with a slew of other toxic chemicals that add to the problem.

Using organic, natural body care products and cosmetics is an essential key to our total body detoxification. It doesn’t make much sense to go to great lengths to eliminate toxins from the diet if your body is being doused in them every day. After all, what goes ON your skin gets absorbed IN your body. My favorite company, and of course, the one we use, is Miessence.

The most important thing on the whole issue of pesticides is to not panic. Do what you can as you can do it. If there is an organic option you can choose within your area and/or budget, then choose it! If not, either do without or choose the next best option.

Each area of your lifestyle that you clean up will take you one step closer to a cleaner internal body environment which will lead to significant improvements in your child’s ADHD or autism spectrum symptoms and behaviors.