What Is Organic and Why Should I Care? Part 2 | Choose Real

In our previous article??What is Organic and Why Should I Care??Part 1??we established what the word organic means and discussed several different implications that come with that title. And while that clarification is a good place to start, it still begs the question, ?Why should I care??

There?s no shortage of debates over the health claims being associated with organic foods. But beyond the controversy, there are a few real, practical reasons to consider when contemplating going organic.

Why We Should Care:

The greatest point of contention about the benefits of eating organics lies in the fact that, at this point, there are no definitive studies that can prove that organic food contains any significantly higher levels of nutrition than conventional food. That?s right, according to this article:

Nobody has been able to prove that organic food is higher in nutrients.

However, this fact alone is not the only consideration when discussing the benefits of eating organic. The primary concern with non-organic food is not so much, ?Does it have less nutritional value???but rather, ?What else are we getting in the process??

According to CNN?s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, common conventional fruits and veggies?such as apples or celery?can still have as many as 10 or more different pesticide and chemical residues on them by the time they make it to the supermarket. And that?s after they are professionally power washed! But simply rinsing them again may not have any additional benefits either. This is because many plants absorb pesticides as they grow. As a result, chemicals can remain in the produce even after washing the outsides of them multiple times.

Numerous studies on the long-term effects of consuming the specific chemicals and pesticides used in conventional farming techniques have suggested strong connections to a wide range of health issues.

But beyond the studies, basic reasoning would suggest that it may not be entirely wise to eat anything that was designed to kill and repel other living organisms.

So Where Do I Start?

Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) analyzes the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s (USDA) pesticide residue report and produces its ?Dirty Dozen Plus? list of the most highly pesticide-laden produce items. The list does vary periodically, but in summary it includes celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, kale, cherries, potatoes and grapes.

The EWG estimates that individuals can reduce their exposure to harmful pesticides and chemicals by up to 80 percent if they simply switch to organics when buying these 12 foods.

It?s notable to add here that fruits and veggies aren?t the only foods to watch out for. Bread, pasta and other products made from non-organic flour may contain as many pesticides as non-organic produce. Conventionally farmed grains are heavily sprayed with pesticides that can be absorbed in exactly the same manner as produce.

Aside from the primary issues regarding the health risks of eating non-organic food, let?s take a look at a paper from Cornell University detailing the results of a 22-year study conducted by the Rodale Institute. This study suggests that in areas where conventional farming takes place, soil quality, land sustainability and the quality of the water supply are all significantly decreased when compared to areas that employ exclusively organic farming techniques.

In addition, conventional farming technologies did not show significantly higher crop production and had higher fossil-energy costs than their organic counterparts.

Though there are many factors to consider when discussing organic foods, the issues of health, environmental concerns and cost seem to be the primary considerations for most people. So the third installment of this series will focus on the topic of meats and poultry and help to clarify terms like all-natural, free-range, grass-fed/finished and several others.

In the meantime, take a look at your current diet, and see if there are ways you can easily incorporate more organic choices into your daily regimen. As the studies above show, sometimes the smallest changes can make the biggest differences.

Source: http://choosereal.com/2012/08/what-is-organic-and-why-should-i-care-part-2/

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