It's Official: Organic Really is Better
By Dr. Joseph Mercola
The debate over whether organic food is
healthier than conventionally grown food may be over, according to results
from a $25-million study into organic food -- the largest of its kind to
date.
The four-year, European-Union-funded study found that:
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Organic fruit and vegetables contain up to
40 percent more antioxidants
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Organic produce had higher levels of
beneficial minerals like iron and zinc
-
Milk from organic herds contained up to 90
percent more antioxidants
The researchers obtained their results after
growing fruit and vegetables, and raising cattle, on adjacent organic and
non-organic sites. They say that eating organic foods can even help to
increase the nutrient intake of people who don’t eat the recommended five
servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
The UK’s Food Standards Agency, which has
formerly said that there is no difference between organic and conventional
foods, is reviewing the research findings.
Sources: Times Online October 28, 2007
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Many “health” experts continue to state that
there is little difference between organic and conventionally raised
produce, but if they review this evidence, they will likely have to change
their tune.
Food grown in healthier soil, with natural fertilizers and no chemicals,
simply has to be more nutritious. It is common knowledge -- though knowledge
that is greatly suppressed in the United States.
A 2003 study in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, for example,
found that organic foods are better for fighting cancer.
And in 2005, scientists found that, compared to rats that ate conventional
diets, organically fed rats experienced various health benefits. Rats that
ate organic or minimally fertilized diets had:
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Improved immune system status
-
Better sleeping habits
-
Less weight and were slimmer than rats fed
other diets
-
Higher vitamin E content in their blood
(for organically fed rats)
Does this mean that you should ditch all of
your conventional produce and meat, and only buy certified organic foods?
Well, yes … and no.
Be Very Wary of What Organic Foods You Buy, and Where You Buy Them
Although the organic label has really only
become widely popular in the last several years, it has already been greatly
compromised. Whereas organic foods were once truly raised naturally, on
small farms with great integrity, big business has now stepped in and
tainted many of the principles upon which the organic label was founded.
Wal-Mart, for instance, is now the largest organic retailer in the United
States. According to the Organic Consumers Association, the mega-store is:
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Selling Horizon and Aurora Organic milk
that comes from intensive confinement factory farm dairies
-
Importing cheap organic foods and
ingredients from China and Brazil
-
Posting signs in its stores that mislead
people into believing that non-organic items are actually organic
In other words, organic food now represents a
$14-billion business in the United States, and the quality and meaning of
the organic label is undergoing a fast decline. You are, in fact, being
ripped off by much of the organic food you are buying.
One of the biggest rip-offs, in my opinion, is organic milk. Milk is not
something I recommend that anyone drink unless it is in raw form. Organic
milk is NOT raw milk, it is pasteurized milk, and will be associated with
all of the health problems of pasteurized milk, regardless of its organic
certification.
Another big-time deception is all of those “organic” convenience, junk foods
like ice cream, crackers, cookies, pizzas and potato chips. A potato chip is
one of the worst foods you can eat, regardless of whether or not the potato
is organic.
Yet big business is cashing in on your desire to “have your cake and eat it
too,” so to speak, and deceiving you into believing that you can eat
cookies, ice cream and potato chips without feeling guilty because they’re
“organic.”
Local is Now Better Than Organic
If you want to get the freshest, most nutrient-rich foods available, you
simply must seek out real sources close to your home. When I say “real
sources” I’m referring to farmers, food coops, farmers’ markets, and
community-supported agriculture programs -- NOT your local supermarket, or
even your local big-name health food store.
These are the people who are growing your food, and only by speaking with
them and establishing a rapport will you truly know if your food is being
raised with integrity and health in mind.
Know also that many small farmers raise their foods according to organic
standards, yet are unable to afford the federal certification progress to
legally call them so. Ask your local farmers, and you’ll likely be surprised
at how natural their farming methods are.
The bottom line?
Folks, simply stick to eating food that comes from your community, and from
nature. Eat meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and more that come from a
farmer you trust, according to your Nutritional Type, and you will thrive.
For those few foods you can’t find locally, buying from a supermarket or
health food store is, of course, a practical option. Just make sure that
these supermarket foods make up only a tiny portion of your family’s overall
food.
©Copyright 2007 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All
Rights Reserved
****
About Dr. Joseph Mercola:
It is my vision to transform the existing medical paradigm from
one addicted
to pharmaceuticals, surgeries and other methods that only conceal
or remove
specific symptoms - with morbid results to our health and economy --
to one
focused on treating and preventing the underlying causes.
I will achieve this through Mercola.com by providing you with comprehensive,
clear and researched guidance on the best nutrition, medical, emotional therapy
and lifestyle choices to improve and maintain total health.
Visit www.Mercola.com to learn more!
