Home   |   Information   |   Get to Know Us   |   Modalities   |   Appointments   |   Links                                                                  ND Students

August 01, 2006

Do I Have To Buy Everything Organic?

Many consumers are confused about natural and organic foods, and with good reason! There is much conflicting information, and food labels can be misleading. On top of that, buying organic can be expensive, with prices for organic foods often 50 to 100% higher than the prices of their conventional counterparts. Here are some of the questions we often get asked about organic foods:

What does organic really mean?
In order to label a food as organic, the grower or producer must follow certain standards. Organic farms and food manufacturers regularly undergo inspection to ensure that they are complaint with the USDA’s regulations on organic food. Organic food must be grown without the use of sewage sludge or synthetic chemicals and fertilizers. Irradiation is not permitted, nor is genetic modification. For organic dairy products and meat, the use of antibiotics and hormones is not permitted.

What are the benefits of buying organic foods?
One of the biggest reasons people choose organic foods is because of health considerations. Using organic foods can decrease the amounts of chemicals, pesticides, extra hormones, and antibiotics that you and your family are exposed to. Organic farming is also better for the environment. It reduces the number of chemicals that enter the water supply, does not result in the development of resistant pests, and is better for the topsoil.

What about the term “natural”?
If a label says the food is natural, does that mean it is organic? Natural does not mean organic, and it may not even mean healthy! There are no real requirements that manufacturers or farmers must meet in order to label their food as “natural”. This term is not regulated by the government, and so any manufacturer can use the word on its products. One example is the soda pop 7-UP. Although the 7-UP label says that 7-UP is “natural”, it still contains citric acid and high levels of sugar. Just because something says “natural” doesn’t mean it’s a healthy choice!

So, do you really have to buy everything organic?
Not necessarily. Here’s why:

Some fruits and vegetables are especially high in pesticide and chemical content, while others are fairly low. Try to focus on buying the items that are higher in pesticide content organic, while buying less contaminated foods non-organic. Research shows that the highest content of PCBs or pesticides was found in dairy products, meat and fish, but the PCBs that were most toxic were found in vegetables. Some examples of fruits and vegetables that are high in pesticides are strawberries, apples, and spinach, while some that are lower are corn, bananas, and avocados. If you do eat highly contaminated produce, consider peeling it. Although some valuable nutrients and fiber will be lost through peeling, many surface chemicals will also be discarded.

At the website of the Environmental Working Group, click on the Shopper’s Guide to find a wallet-sized shopping card and see a complete list of fruits and veggies and where they stand according to pesticide content. Let’s face it: not everyone can afford to buy everything organic, so the lists help you prioritize and decide which foods to spend the extra money on.

The potential health effects of pesticides and other chemicals:
Pesticides, heavy metals, and antimicrobials found in our food can have deleterious effects on so many of our health, especially affecting our nervous, endocrine, immune systems.

On the other hand, eating organic has some concrete benefits. Men who consumed organic food were shown to have higher sperm count and more normal sperm. Organic vegetables are shown to have more anti-mutagenic (cancer preventing) properties. Lower concentrations of pesticides were found in the breast milk of women who consumed organic produce. The Environmental Working Group has examined food toxicity in relation to the immune, endocrine and neurologic systems. Check out their website, www.ewg.org for more information.

What about buying fish?
Unfortunately, our oceans, lakes, and rivers contain heavy metals and pesticides from wash-offs and rain. The fish that live in these waters can be contaminated with these chemicals. Most of us have heard that tuna fish should be consumed in moderation due to the high levels of mercury. It is recommended that women of childbearing age and children under 5 years old not consume tuna for this very reason. Fish absorb mercury from water as it passes over their gills and as they feed on aquatic organisms. This mercury accumulates in the fish and passes up the food chain. Mercury binds tightly to the proteins in the fish tissue, including muscle. Cooking does not appreciably reduce the mercury content of the fish.

Large predatory fish like sharks and swordfish and certain species of tuna have the highest levels, often exceeding the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limit for human consumption of 1 ppm (part per million). Canned tuna (not albacore) is usually composed of smaller species of tuna, and will typically have much lower levels (about 0.17 ppm). Another heavy metal that can be problematic is arsenic. As filter feeders, shell fish are particularly high in the heavy metal arsenic. One study found that approximately 40% of the arsenic in the diet came from shellfish.

Heavy metals are not the only contaminant of concern. Uncooked saltwater and freshwater fish (as consumed in sushi) if eaten regularly can account for a heavy burden of chemicals like chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, dioxin and PCBs. In the United States the area of greatest fish contamination are the Great Lakes, where more than 400 contaminants have been identified.

In short, eat wild caught fish and limit consumption of sushi and shellfish. Wild caught fish is generally healthier because it contains more omega 3 fatty acids, fewer PCBs (pesticides), and is not dyed with artificial colors as farm-raised fish often is. Also, when considering which wild caught fish to purchase, know that the bigger the fish, the more toxins it typically contains. For example tuna, swordfish and shark are on the highly contaminated list. For EWG’s recommendations on fish consumption, see: http://www.ewg.org/reports/BrainFood/sidebar.html. You can also find a tool that will calculate how much tuna is safe for you to consume based on your weight and gender at this site.

What about beef. Is it what’s for dinner?
Cows are exposed to toxins either through their feed or while grazing. Where there are elevated levels of organochlorine compounds (DDT and DDE) in the soil and grass, higher levels of these pesticides are also found in the adipose and milk fat of cows. Organophosphate pesticides are found in higher levels in animal feed in general, including pig and poultry feed.

Got milk?
As mentioned above, dairy products can be a major source of pesticides from the soil and feed of cows. A study done in the early nineties found that half of the milk delivered to the US population contained pesticides (mostly DDE and dieldrin). Butter from Europe and North America are found to contain the highest levels of PCBs, while butter from Australia and New Zealand had the lowest. This correlates with the global movement of these organic compounds to higher latitudes, where they settle in the soil from air pollution. If you were to pick one dairy product to get organic, it should be butter.

What about chicken and eggs?
Again, PCBs are found in animals feed, including chicken feed. These pesticides end up in chicken meat and eggs. Chickens routinely live in crowded conditions where they are fed antibiotics to prevent infection. The antimicrobials found in chicken meat and eggs have been shown to cause hormonal imbalances and birth defects.

Some sources of free-range meats in NH:
·A Market Natural Foods Store
·Hannafords
 Tuesday, August 01, 2006 0 comments