In addition, some organochlorines mimic the effects of estrogens. These toxins tend to accumulate in animal fat, and the major route of human exposure is through food, particularly fish. They also show up in meats and dairy products. 1 Chickens, cattle, pigs, and other animals are fed grains treated with pesticides and sometimes contaminated with other organochlorines, and they tend to concentrate these compounds in their muscle tissues and milk. While there may also be organochlorine pesticide residues on non-organic fruits or vegetables, they are less concentrated and are easier to remove.
Organic produce is grown without chemical pesticides.
To measure the concentration of organochlorines in a woman's body, researchers sometimes check samples of breast milk. Breast tissue is a natural target for chemicals that dissolve into fat, and, in fact, during breast-feeding, a woman can excrete up to half of all the dioxin she has accumulated in her body tissues. Unfortunately, the recipient of these chemicals is the nursing baby. A vegetarian diet has obvious advantages. By avoiding fish, other meats, and cow's milk, you avoid the foods that harbor most organochlorines.