More Americans than ever are suffering from food allergies: An estimated 15% of us now cope with intolerance to fare like eggs, soy, and peanuts. It’s still not clear what’s behind the trend, but new research suggests it might have something to do with pesticides.
According to a study of 2,548 people, published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, high levels of some pesticide breakdown products (a class of chemicals called "dichlorophenols") show up in the urine of individuals with food allergies, suggesting a possible link between the two. In particular, those with the highest levels of dichlorophenols were more likely to have an allergy to milk, eggs, peanuts, or shrimp. The relationship didn’t hold up with environmental allergens like pets, ragweed, or grass.
You're most likely to be exposed to dichlorphenols through food and water, says lead study author Elina Jerschow, MD, assistant professor in clinical research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. The chemicals are byproducts of an herbicide commonly used in agriculture, and are also involved in the chlorination of tap water. Plus, they can infiltrate the home through mothballs and room deodorizers, both of which can contain chlorine, and cleaning products that contain the chemical. "As long as you have chlorine in your environment, you might be exposed," Dr. Jerschow says.
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Of course, this study doesn’t prove that pesticides and other sources of dichlorphenols cause food allergies. But Dr. Jershow says that the findings align themselves with “the hygiene hypothesis,” or the idea that we’re scrubbing ourselves clean of good bacteria and thereby weakening our immune systems. Dichlorophenols are known to kill bacteria, she says, "and it's been found that anything that decreases the bacterial load in our environment is associated with more allergies."
Here are a few ways to cut down on the amount of pesticides going into your system:
Demand organic Not only will you be limiting your exposure to chlorinated pesticide residues, you'll be supporting farmers who don't plant genetically modified crops, which are banned under organic standards and might soon (because of potential new USDA regulations) be laden with even larger quantities of pesticides that contain dichlorphenols. (Think shelling out for organics is impossible? Find out How To Afford Organic Food.)
Ban the bottle It's hard to say whether typical household water filters remove dichlorophenols from tap water, Dr. Jerschow says. But don't assume that bottled water is any safer: Roughly 50% of bottled waters on the market are simply filtered tap, so they too could contain dichlorophenols. A standard household water filter will at least remove chlorine from water, and that'll eliminate breakdown products from dissipating into indoor air.
Make your own cleaning products Rather than resort to chlorinated commercial cleaners, make your own with white vinegar, which Consumer Reports recently declared "the best cleaner ever." (For safer store-bought products, check out 5 Green Cleaning Products To Look For.)