Organic Food is More Nutritious

• Organic foods, especially raw or non-processed, contain higher levels of beta carotene, vitamins C, D and E, health-promoting polyphenols, cancer-fightingantioxidants, flavonoids that help ward off heart disease,essential fatty acids, and essential minerals.
• On average, organic is 25% more nutritious in terms of vitamins and minerals than products derived from industrial agriculture. Since on the average, organic food’s shelf price is only 20% higher than chemical food, this makes it actually cheaper, gram for gram, than chemical food, even ignoring the astronomical hidden costs (damage to health, climate, environment, and government subsidies) of industrial food production. Learn more…
• Levels of antioxidants in milk from organic cattle are between 50% and 80% higher than normal milk. Organic wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, onions and lettuce have between 20% and 40% more nutrients than non-organic foods. Learn more…
• Organic food contains qualitatively higher levels of essential minerals (such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium), that are severely depleted in chemical foods grown on pesticide and nitrate fertilizer-abused soil. UK and US government statistics indicate that levels of trace minerals in (non-organic) fruit and vegetables fell by up to 76% between 1940 and 1991.

Organic Food is Pure Food, Free of Chemical Additives

• Organic food doesn’t contain food additives, flavor enhancers (like MSG), artificial sweeteners (like aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup), contaminants (likemercury) or preservatives (like sodium nitrate), that can cause health problems.
• Eating organic has the potential to lower the incidence of autism, learning disorders, diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, allergies, osteoporosis,migraines, dementia, and hyperactivity.

Organic Food Is Safer

• Organic food doesn’t contain pesticides. More than 400 chemical pesticides are routinely used in conventional farming and residues remain on non-organic food even after washing. Children are especially vulnerable to pesticide exposure. One class of pesticides, endocrine disruptors, may be responsible for early puberty and breast cancer. Pesticides are linked to asthma and cancer.
• Organic food isn’t genetically modified. Under organic standards, genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are prohibited.
• Organic animals aren’t given drugs. Organic farming standards prohibit the use ofantibiotics, growth hormones and genetically modified vaccines in farm animals.Hormone-laced beef and dairy consumption is correlated with increased rates of breast, testis and prostate cancers.
• Organic animals aren’t fed slaughterhouse waste, blood, or manure. Eating organic reduces the risks of CJD, the human version of mad cow disease, as well asAlzheimer’s.
• Organic animals aren’t fed arsenic.
• Organic animals aren’t fed byproducts of corn ethanol production (which increases the rate of E. coli contamination).
• Organic crops aren’t fertilized with toxic sewage sludge or coal waste, or irrigated with E. coli contaminated sewage water.
• Organic food isn’t irradiated. Cats fed a diet of irradiated food got multiple sclerosiswithin 3-4 months.
• Organic food contains less illness-inducing bacteria. Organic chicken is free of salmonella and has a reduced incidence of campylobacter.

• Organic dairy has environmental benefits: Shades of Green: Quantifying the Benefits of Organic Dairy Production

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Ten Reasons to Eat Organic Foods
From: DrWeil.com (Dr. Andrew Weil)
Why Buy Organic?
I have long been a proponent of organic foods – I believe they have NEED.
The United Kingdom’s Soil Association is the leading organic certifier for
that region. They published a list of 10 reasons for eating organic – all of
which I agree with:
1. It’s healthy. Organic food tends to contain higher levels of
vitamin C, cancer-fighting antioxidants, and essential minerals such as
calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium.
2. No nasty additives. Organic food doesn’t contain food additives
that can cause health problems such as heart disease, osteoporosis,
migraines and hyperactivity.
3. It avoids pesticides. More than 400 chemical pesticides are
routinely used in conventional farming and residues are often present in
non-organic food.
4. No genetic modification. Under organic standards, genetically
modified (GM) crops and ingredients are not allowed.
5. There is not a reliance on drugs. Organic farming standards
prohibit the routine use of antibiotics and growth hormones in farm animals.
6. There are no hidden costs. As taxpayers, we pay for chemicals
to be removed from our drinking water – including the pesticide runoff from
conventional farms.
7. There are high standards. Organic food comes from trusted
sources that are inspected to ensure compliance to organic standards.
8. Organic methods provide for animals. Animal welfare is taken
very seriously under organic standards.
9. It’s good for wildlife and the environment. The UK government
has said that organic farming is better for wildlife, causes lower pollution
from sprays, produces less carbon dioxide – the main global warming gas –
and less dangerous wastes.
10. It’s flavorful. Many people prefer organic food because they
say it tastes better.
Visit soilassociation.org for more information, as well a DrWeil.com.
Copyright © 2005 Weil Lifestyle, LLC