#organic #foods
Organic fresh produce sales in Y 2020 rose to over $8.54-B an increase of $1-B over Y 2019.
But some experts say that it is not worth spending the extra money on all organic products since not all organic food is superior to the conventional 1’s.
For example: a study of 55 brands of rice published in the journal “Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety” found that organic rice contained significantly more arsenic than non-organic samples. I never eat rice anyway!
But, a recent Pew Research Center survey showed that 50% of Americans believe that organic foods are better for us, and most are.
“Manufacturers have taken advantage of this belief and sell organic clothing, water, soap, cosmetics just about everything that touches our body,” says an expert. “However, the US government control over the use of the label ‘organic’ is lax because there are few government agencies or contractors to check the production of organic products.”
To help consumers sort out the good and bad facts about organic and conventional foods, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has compiled and published data and information.
And Dr. Thomas Galligan, PhD, an EWG toxicologist, says that his organization recommends buying organic whenever possible.
“Research has repeatedly shown that eating organic produce is an effective way to dramatically reduce exposure to toxic pesticides,” he tells us. “A diet high in organic food has been linked to a variety of important health benefits, including improved fertility, lower BMI, reduced incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and lower risk of type 2 diabetes.”
EWG knows that organic produce may not always be available and affordable for every consumer, so they publish a Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ each yr.
The guide, which includes their Dirty Dozen™ and Clean Fifteen™ lists, ranks fresh fruits and vegetables based on pesticide testing data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“Choosing organic is particularly important for items on the Dirty Dozen list, as these have the most pesticides on them. Items on the Clean Fifteen list have the least, so consumers can buy these fruits and vegetables in their non-organic forms without compromising on pesticide exposures,” says Dr. Galligan.
Galligan says organic packaged foods may also offer health benefits over non-organic options. He explains that federal regulations limit the types of ingredients allowed in packaged organic foods, particularly prohibiting synthetic ingredients that have been shown to harm human health or the environment.
Fewer than 40 synthetic substances are allowed in organic packaged foods, compared to thousands of synthetic preservatives, flavors, colors, and other ingredients allowed in conventional packaged foods.
Many of these synthetic ingredients have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and harm to developing children. Choosing organic can help consumers avoid exposures to these harmful chemicals, says Galligan.
Consumers can use EWG’s Food Scores Database to identify non-organic packaged food items free from concerning synthetic additives.
We here at HeffX-LTN support organic farmers and and always buy and eat organic produce.
All the scientific evidence supports the fact that people who eat the most fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds markedly reduce their risk of heart attacks, certain cancers, strokes and diabetes.
It is recommend to wash all produce under running filtered water to remove bacteria and chemicals organic or not.
And always buy Organic grass fed meat and dairy: The EU has banned the use of hormones in cattle, but the practice is still permitted in many other countries, including the US.
These hormones can remain in the meat, and the potential health effects of ingesting them on a regular basis is not yet well studied.
But buying organic meat and dairy is as much about the potential health risks of the growth hormones and antibiotics as it is about choosing the more humane option.
Organic cattle are allowed to graze, and fed natural feed so that they can live a happy and healthy life before making it to our plates
Eat healthy, Be healthy, Live lively
