Pesticides May Impact Pregnancy Outcomes

Could pesticides impact pregnancy outcomes? Here’s what science has to say.

The issue of pesticides in produce concerns many. And some studies suggest that these residues—especially when combined with many types of chemicals—may be linked with health risks. Higher intake of fruits and vegetables with high pesticide residue was associated with lower pregnancy and live birth probability in women undergoing infertility treatment, researchers reported. In the study, 325 women undergoing infertility treatments ate between one and two servings of fruit and vegetables a day with either a high or low pesticide residue level. Pesticide residue levels were categorized using USDA data. Compared to those with the lowest intake, participants with the highest intake of high pesticide fruit and vegetables had an 18 percent lower probability of pregnancy and 26 percent lower probability of live birth.

To be sure, we need more research on this issue to fully understand it. And I, like many other nutrition experts, recommend that your first priority is simply consuming more fruits and vegetables, period. If you’re concerned about pesticides, choose organic produce, which has lower levels of pesticide residues, according to research.

(JAMA Internal Medicine, October 2017)

Read the full study here.

Image: Fresh strawberries at the Pasadena Farmers Market, Sharon Palmer