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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Today is Earth Day, so let’s Go Organic as one step toward saving our earth, and also enhancing our health! Going Organic has been a popular topic along with going local, going natural, and especially since our first lady set an example by planting an organic garden. Organic though, is not new. In 1990 Congress passed an act that required the USDA to come up with standard regulations for Organic foods and their labels, but we’ve come a long way since then. Some of us eat only or mostly organic foods, while some of us are just beginning to become interested. But what does organic mean, and how important is it? I personally have begun to choose more organic foods for my health, and for our environment. Going green and the “Organic vs. Synthetic Pesticide” issue is definitely on our minds more, so let’s take a closer look at what it all means.
The Scoop.
Pesticides are used in our soil and they are sprayed on our crops. Our livestock are also given synthetic chemicals (antibiotics, hormones, etc.) to control the spread of disease and to enhance food production. This has become necessary since the Industrial Revolution took place with mass production farming (agriculture). Want to be surprised about how widely pesticides are used in our foods? For instance, “Currently, tiny quantities of nearly 100 pesticides are legally allowed in milk, which typically makes up one-fifth of a toddler’s diet. And this does not include milk products such as yogurts and cheese, which make up a large part of a child’s snacks. A child may also be exposed to trace amounts of 20 different pesticides in grapes, 20 in oranges and 13 on apples. Consider our cumulative exposure from our food, especially for children, when current regulations address only single exposures.” (1) One study in 2006 measured the levels of “organophosphorus pesticide” exposure in 23 schoolchildren before and after replacing their diet with organic food. In this study it was found that levels of organophosphorus pesticide exposure dropped dramatically and immediately when the children switched to an organic diet (2).
In addition to the carcinogenic effects of our exposure to multiple pesticides, many of us wonder about the nutritional differences between 100% organic and non organic foods. Is there a nutritional difference? Well, in one report, a review of the literature produced over the last 50 years comparing the nutritional quality of organic with conventional crops (which has been limited up until more recently), found a trend in the data indicating higher nutrient content in organically grown crops. This phenomenon is possibly due to a higher water content in conventional crops, which causes nutrient dilution. For individual nutrients, existing studies do show that organic fertilization practices, produce crops with higher levels of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), lower levels of nitrate (this is a carcinogenic compound), and improved protein quality compared with conventionally grown crops. (3) And we’re not even discussing what these toxic chemicals are doing to our soil and earth! What more can I say?
What are some of the differences between organic and synthetic pesticides?
Organic fertilizers used in our soil are made from plant and animal materials such as manure, green manure (vegetables) and compost (decayed foods, decayed grass clippings, and things such as dead leaves etc.). These natural fertilizers nourish and condition our soil adding back vital nutrients including water, which are used up during the growth of our crops. Organic farming costs more money due to many factors and it does increase the cost of our food, but it does not damage the soil. Organic foods cannot be mass grown. Organic farming also includes natural pesticide methods of keeping the produce pest free.
Synthetic pesticides/chemicals are used in our soil, fed to our livestock, and used as crop treatments to kill unwanted bugs and pests. They are also added to shampoos, carpets, mattresses, and believe it or not contact lenses, as well as produce (such as wax on apples). Chemical pesticides are used because they increase mass production of food and they are cheaper than organic methods thus lowering the cost of our food at the grocery.
Synthetic pesticides/chemicals all have a persistence level, which means they remain biologically active (potentially toxic) for a varying amount of time ranging from days to years. According to governmental reports, small amounts of residue may be found on food. Currently, there are about 630 different active chemical ingredients mixed to make over 25, 000 different pesticides. Lastly, another serious concern is the growing increased resistance by insects to our man -made chemicals (we’ve all heard about antibiotic resistance for example?).
Okay, what are the laws?(4)
Products labeled as “100 percent organic” must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients.
Products labeled “organic” must consist of at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt). They must also be free of artificial food additives.
Processed products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients can use the phrase “made with organic ingredients” and list up to three of the organic ingredients or food groups on the principal display panel.
While we can’t eliminate all pesticide usage, we can become more aware about the dangers we expose ourselves, our children and our animal companions to. We can learn more about which foods carry the highest amount of pesticides, and perhaps purchase more organic food products particularly for our children. In 1987, the EPA ranked pesticide residue in foods, the 3rd most serious health threat in terms of cancer risk. And it hasn’t decreased since.
Want more info than I can provide here? Click on this informative link: www.ams.usda.gov/nop/ as well as
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/safely.htm
Follow me Junefit on Twitter every Sunday for a new weight loss tool taken from my book, It’s Not a Diet, it’s Creative Eating! And my Favorite Organic food to start my day with is what else, Voskos Greek Organic Non Fat Plain Yogurt! Check out the award winning yogurt here http://www.voskos.com/products.html
Here’s to our Health!
June M Lay M.S.
JuneFit
Sources used: (1) Environmental Science, Miller 7th edition (2) Lu, Chensheng, et al. (2006). “Organic Diets Significantly Lower Children’s Dietary Exposure to Organophosphorus Pesticides”. Environmental Health Perspectives 114: 260–263. (3)Worthington V., Effect of agricultural methods on nutritional quality: a comparison of organic with conventional crops. Altern Ther Health Med. 1998 Jan;4(1):58-69. NutriKinetics, Washington, DC, Retrieved from Pubmed. 4. USA.National Organic Program USDA
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June is Lifestyle Columnist at www.healthnewsdigest.com/
copyright 2011, junefit. All rights reserved.
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