|
 By
Alicia Tamayo
Interest in organic food has increased dramatically over
the past decade as new claims continue to be made about its
health and environmental benefits. Choosing to go organic
can be confusing, especially when it's unclear what's true
and what's not. PCM's got the basics - from what it is, what
the health benefits are, and what to look for!
Why choose organic products?
Organic products do not contain antibiotics, hormones, pesticides
or other chemicals that factory farm products contain. Animals
on factory farms are fed antibiotics and often injected with
hormones to make them grow faster and produce more milk and
eggs. Why is this a problem? Humans who are frequently exposed
to these antibiotics can become resistant to them, which becomes
a problem when we get sick and need treatment! Some experts
worry that the hormones in our food lead to health concerns,
including early puberty. There are no studies that prove this,
however.
Another reason people choose organic products is organic
farms do not use pesticides. Nonorganic fruits and vegetables
contain surprising amounts of pesticides, and even thorough
washing cannot get rid of all of them. According to the CDC,
most Americans do have detectable levels of multiple pesticides
in their body. Different pesticides have actually been linked
to a variety of health problems including nervous system toxicity,
cancer and birth defects. The FDC claims the amounts are too
small to have any effects, but some are skeptical.
According to Prevention, a study supported by the
EPA measured pesticide levels in children's urine before and
after a switch to an organic diet. After just 5 days, the
chemicals decreased to undetectable levels.
Researchers are also suggesting that all-organic diets may
have weight benefits. Research in rats found that those fed
an all-organic diet (versus conventional food) had lower weights,
less body fat, and stronger immune systems. They were also
calmer and slept better.
The truth of the matter is, you don't have to go completely
organic. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing lifestyle!
Organic products are generally more expensive than nonorganic
is, so most people cannot afford to buy all organic products.
It's important to understand when to go organic, and when
it's okay to just get the old stuff!
The most important fruits and vegetables you should buy organic
are those with the greatest pesticide residues. One of the
worst contenders are apples - they are generally sprayed up
to 16 times, with as many as 36 different chemicals! This
is one fruit you definitely should consider buying organic.
According to the USDA, the following is a list of produce
with the highest concentration of pesticides - a.k.a. produce
that you may want to spend the extra few bucks to get organic:
Apples
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Spinach
Pears
Peaches
Cherries
Potatoes
Bell Peppers
Rasberries
Grapes
Blueberries
Kale
Lettuce
Produce not to waste the extra money on:
Bananas
Avocados
Asparagus
Onions
Kiwi
Mangoes
Pineapples
Sweet Peas
Broccoli
Watermelon
Other products worth the extra money are organic milk, eggs,
and meat. Organic milk is said to contain 75% more beta-carotene,
50% more vitamin E, at least twice the antioxidants lutein
and zeaxanthin, and about 70% more omega-3 fatty acids! Plus,
it's hormone free! It's also a good idea to start buying organic
meat, and say goodbye to antibiotics and growth hormones.
If it's just too expensive, try cutting back on meat all together.
If you're on a budget, don't bother spending the extra money
on organic packaged foods, like cookies, crackers, candy,
etc. You really aren't going to see much of a difference there.
Just look out for things like high fructose corn syrup, or
anything loaded with sugar and things you can't pronounce!
You don't have to throw out everything in your fridge or
run over to your local farmers market right away. But next
time you're food shopping, think about the pros and cons and
keep in mind which foods are worth making the switch for.
Look out for sales, special deals, and even coupons on the
internet or in your weekly paper. It might be a little more
costly, but in the long-run, it really does save you when
it comes to your health.
|
