Article
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Citation
Makris KC, Konstantinou C, Andrianou XD, Charisiadis P, Kyriacou A, Gribble MO & Christophi CA (2019) A cluster-randomized crossover trial of organic diet impact on biomarkers of exposure to pesticides and biomarkers of oxidative stress/inflammation in primary school children. PLOS ONE, 14 (9), Art. No.: e0219420. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219420
Abstract
Despite suggestive observational epidemiology and laboratory studies, there is limited experimental evidence regarding the effect of organic diet on human health. A cluster-randomized 40-day-organic (vs. 40-day-conventional) crossover trial was conducted among children (11¨C12 years old) from six schools in Cyprus. One restaurant provided all organic meals, and adherence to the organic diet intervention was measured by parent-provided diet questionnaire/diary data. Biomarkers of pyrethroid and neonicotinoid pesticide exposures were measured using tandem mass spectrometry, and oxidative stress/inflammation (OSI) biomarkers using immunoassays or spectrophotometry. Associations were assessed using mixed-effect regression models including interactions of treatment with time. Seventy-two percent of neonicotinoid biomarkers were non-detectable and modeled as binary (whether detectable). In post-hoc analysis, we considered the outcome of age-and-sex-standardized BMI. Multiple comparisons were handled using Benjamini-Hochberg correction for 58 regression parameters. Outcome data were available for 149 children. Children had lower pesticide exposures during the organic period (pyrethroid geometric mean ratio, GMR = 0.297; [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.237, 0.373], Q-value < 0.05); odds for detection of neonicotinoids (OR = 0.651; [95% CI: 0.463, 0.917), Q-value < 0.05); and decreased OSI biomarker 8-OHdG (GMR = 0.888; [95% CI: 0.808, 0.976], Q-value < 0.05). An initial increase was followed by a countervailing decrease over time in the organic period for OSI biomarkers 8-iso-PGF2a and MDA. BMI z-scores were lower at the end of the organic period (¦Â = -0.131; [95% CI: 0.179, -0.920], Q-value < 0.05). Energy intake during the conventional period was reported to be higher than the recommended reference levels. The organic diet intervention reduced children¡¯s exposure to pyrethroid and neonicotinoid pesticides and, over time lowered biomarkers of oxidative stress/inflammation (8-iso-PGF2a, 8-OHdG and MDA). The several-week organic diet intervention also reduced children¡¯s age- and-sex-standardized BMI z-scores, but causal inferences regarding organic diet¡¯s physiological benefits are limited by the confounding of the organic diet intervention with caloric intake reduction and possible lifestyle changes during the trial.
Keywords
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology; General Agricultural and Biological Sciences; General Medicine
Journal
PLOS ONE: Volume 14, Issue 9
Status | Published |
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Funders | European Commission LIFE programme |
Publication date | 04/09/2019 |
Publication date online | 04/09/2019 |
Date accepted by journal | 08/06/2019 |
URL | |
Publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
eISSN | 1932-6203 |