| I know there seems to be an on-going debate out | | | | in terms of soil quality, nutrient uptake, and also just |
| there these days with health professionals, | | | | the pure fact that we don't want carcinogenic and |
| nutritionists, and the media giving different opinions | | | | estrogenic chemicals in our food, it makes it worth it |
| about whether organic food is worth the slightly | | | | to try to buy organic as much as possible. |
| higher prices. | | | | Sometimes Local may be MORE important than |
| But there are a few VERY important aspects of | | | | "Organic" |
| organic food that I rarely see anybody out there | | | | Here's another vitally important thing to keep in mind... |
| talking about. | | | | If your choices at the grocery store for the organic |
| First, as you know, the main aspect that most | | | | food come from half way around the globe (such as |
| people talk about in the organic vs conventional food | | | | organic produce from Chile or New Zealand when you |
| debate is simply whether the food in question was | | | | live in North America), then you might want |
| grown with pesticides, herbicides, or chemical | | | | to consider favoring local produce even if it's not |
| fertilizers, and whether that food contains pesticide | | | | labeled "organic". |
| herbicide residues on the actual food when you eat it. | | | | For one reason, many local farm stands may actually |
| And that IS important... I mean, I know I don't want | | | | have organic produce but simply aren't legally allowed |
| to be ingesting pesticide residues that are potentially | | | | to label their food "organic" if they haven't acquired |
| carginogenic or even estrogenic and can possibly | | | | whatever necessary licenses they need for that. If |
| increase belly fat (due to the xenoestrogens)... and | | | | you ask the farmers, many times you may find out |
| I'm sure you don't either! | | | | that the local farm produce is in fact organic, or at |
| But there's another another MAJOR aspect of | | | | least close to organic (meaning they use very minimal |
| organic vs conventional food that most people are | | | | chemicals compared to a large industrial farm). |
| overlooking, and that is: | | | | Also, local produce that is picked at it's peak of |
| --> The impacts of conventional farm chemicals | | | | ripeness, and on your plate in a matter of hours or |
| on the SOIL, and how that affects the nutritional | | | | days, will usually have much higher nutrition levels |
| composition (quantities of vitamins, minerals, | | | | compared to "organic" produce that was picked |
| and antioxidants in the food) | | | | halfway around the world well before it was ripe and |
| The harsh chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and | | | | traveled weeks to make it to your grocery store. |
| herbicides used in conventional farming can destroy a | | | | The one caveat to this is frozen produce... |
| large part of the microbial activity in the soils | | | | sometimes fruits and veggies are picked at their |
| (bacteria and fungi) that help to make soil minerals | | | | peak of ripeness and frozen rather quickly, even |
| more available to the plants roots. Conventional | | | | if they were picked halfway around the world. In |
| farming degrades this aspect of the soil which results | | | | this case, organic frozen fruits and vegetables can |
| in lower micro-nutrient levels in the plants that you | | | | sometimes be just as nutritious as local produce |
| eat. | | | | (although they may carry a bigger petroleum burden |
| In organic farming, these harsh chemicals are not | | | | than local produce) |
| used, and the soil is healthier and more biologically | | | | So, if I were to give my overall recommendations to |
| active (fungi and bacteria aid the plant roots with | | | | save yourself from the inherent health dangers of |
| uptake of minerals and nutrients), and the plants | | | | pesticides and herbicides, while also eating food that |
| roots can therefore obtain more nutrition which | | | | contains the highest levels of vitamins, minerals, and |
| produces foods with higher micro-nutrient levels. | | | | antioxidants, it is this: |
| Also, it's quite possible that the heavy use of | | | | 1. choose organic over conventional most of the |
| chemical fertilizers, which make crops grow much | | | | time, when it's available |
| faster than normal, leads to a shallower root system, | | | | 2. choose local foods over organic if the organic |
| that inherently absorbs less micro-nutrients from the | | | | food came from very long distances away (although |
| soil column compared to organically raised plants that | | | | frozen organic fruits and vegetables can be just as |
| are forced to have deeper, more extensive root | | | | nutritious as local) |
| systems to obtain all of the nutrients the plant needs. | | | | 3. Don't forget that choosing organic also helps to |
| I think it's quite easy to see why organic foods can | | | | protect the environment from chemical fertilizer and |
| have superior nutrition levels and more vitamins, | | | | pesticide pollution that can harm ecosystems and |
| minerals, and antioxidants than conventional foods. | | | | your own drinking water supply. |
| But beware of conflicting "reports" out there on this | | | | 4. Don't fall for "organic junk foods" -- I've been |
| topic. Although there is much data on the superior | | | | seeing this trend lately -- Just because crackers, |
| nutrition levels of organic foods, you may also find | | | | cookies, cakes, and corn chips may be labeled |
| some data that contradicts these findings in particular | | | | "organic", doesn't mean they are healthy... junk food |
| studies. | | | | is still junk food! And these are still overly |
| The reason that this happens is that science isn't | | | | processed foods that can make you fat! |
| perfect, and someone may measure the nutrition | | | | Remember that forcing change for responsible |
| levels of a certain type of conventional tomato, for | | | | agriculture starts with your choices as a consumer. |
| example, compared against a different type of | | | | The more we demand responsibly grown and raised |
| organic tomato, grown in a vastly different | | | | foods by choosing those foods in our shopping carts, |
| geographic area in vastly different soils and climate. | | | | the more that producers and suppliers will respond to |
| There are dozens, or even hundreds of complications | | | | that demand. |
| with these types of studies, which is why you can't | | | | Please feel free to post the link to this article to your |
| always make direct comparisons. | | | | Facebook friends, share on your blog or forums, or |
| However, I think with the evidence we talked about | | | | email this link to your friends and family. |