Agri-Chemicals and Antibiotics

Pesticides are toxic compounds that usually target the fat-rich nervous tissue of insects. Once consumed by us they are tend to accumulate in our fatty tissues such as brain, nerves, sexual organs and adipose tissue. Many herbicides also are also often absorbed in this way.

Carbendazim is a hormone-disrupting chemical used to control disease on cereals, fruit and vegetables. It cant always be washed off as it penetrates the plant. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency it may cause cancer. In 2003 the UK government found over 12% of 252 samples of pears had detectable carbendazim.

Round-up is an agricultural weedkiller that disrupts male and female hormonal systems1 (Walsh et al, 2000) because it contains man-made oestrogens that are many times stronger than natural hormone2. Environmental oestrogens (also found in pesticides) promote cancer of the lung, colon3, prostate4, breast5,6 and other tissues7 as well as being a factor in PMS, endometriosis etc.

Commonly-used chlorinated hydrocarbon (CH) and organophosphate (OP) pesticides can cause diarrhoea, headaches, tremor, vomiting, lack of energy, depression, anxiety, severe depression and dermatitis8,9 in susceptible people. 60% of UK apples are sprayed with chloropyrifos (an OP) residues of which were detectable in 20% of 301 apples sampled by the UK government in 2003. Impaired learning, memory and motor skills in children can be linked to high pesticide exposure10.

Chickens absorb insecticide (used on “free-range"? and battery chickens) through the skin, from whence it migrates towards fat-rich areas (egg yolks, leg meat). Similarly, pesticide or antibiotic residues in other meats tend to concentrate in fatty tissues. Conventionally-reared animals routinely receive antibiotics in their feed even if they are not sick.

Organic Food is More Nutritious

People eating organic fruit and vegetables for just 22 days have almost double the levels of certain bioflavonoids in their blood then those on an identical menu of conventional produce11 Bioflavonoids are plant antioxidants which hundreds of studies identify as helping us fight disease (e.g. cancer, arthritis, heart disease). New research published in the New Scientist in 2007 confirms the many other studies showing the elevated bioflavonoid content of organic fruit and vegetables.

Men eating organic food have significantly higher sperm counts than those on “standard"? food12 due to the higher antioxidant levels.

Organic foods contain more beneficial mineral such as magnesium, I iron and potassium and lower levels of the toxins aluminium and lead13. Organic fruit is higher in vitamin C too.

Did You Know?

Organic meat and eggs have more vitamin E and omega 3 fats which are linked to longer life-expectancy and reduced incidence of chronic degenerative disease (World Health Organisation). Organic animals and animal produce is also much lower in saturated fat, partly because they get more exercise but also because of their diet. Organic produce is also free from genetically-modified organisms.

But isn’t Organic Food Expensive?

Low meat consumption (90g/3oz or less a day) is linked to longer life so buy less but better. Remember that wild game and fish are natural foods and usually close to organic. Organic vegetable proteins (beans, pulses) are cheap and should be included in the diet. Eating plenty of healthy vegetable proteins is very inexpensive and displaces expensive meat from the diet. Organic dairy products especially butter and natural yoghurt are only slightly more expensive than non-organic.

Organic produce (especially leafy veg) lasts much longer in the fridge once purchased (sometimes twice as long) so there’s less waste. Lots of the most important nutrients (e.g. bioflavonoids) are in the skins so scrub, don’t peel your apples, carrots etc and eat them skin and all!

Money-Saving Organic Tips

• If you can only buy a few organic fresh foods get the ones which in conventional produce tend to be the most heavily contaminated: Strawberries, grapes, peaches, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, apples, pears and wheat.
• Buy vacuum packs of venison pieces from organic or game butchers (e.g. O’Tooles in Terenure, Dun Laoghaire, Mulloy’s in Baggot St, Dublin 2) as they are good value. Although not strictly organic, venison is generally reared outdoors and has lower saturated fat than beef.
• Buy more organic grains, beans and pulses . One 500g pack of chickpeas for example, provides 8 protein-rich servings. If you eat more of these, less meat you can even save money by switching to organic.
• Buy locally produced (not imported) organic foods which are less expensive than imported foods. Due to less travel they are higher in vitamin content and have a much smaller carbon footprint.

Further Information on Organics:

www.soilassociation.org
(This site is good for scientific information.)

www.defra.gov.uk

www.biodynamics.com