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Thread: Organic Food is No Healthier

  1. #1

    Default Organic Food is No Healthier

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090729/...s_food_organic

    Duh.

    I've always been annoyed by "oh its organic so it's healthy."

    Organic gardening is about self sufficiency, permaculture, or sustainability, it has nothing to do with health unless you count the exercise you get working in your garden. There are plenty of reasons to garden organically, but to buy organic produce the only reason is that you want to encourage organic gardening.

    Animal products of course are a different story, but produce doesn't care what type of fertilizer was used on it.

    Also not unhealthy, genetically engineered hybrids. Not liking such foods has nothing to do with health.


  2. #2
    Super Moderater RangerXanatos's Avatar
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    As my organic chemistry instructor said, "If it's not organic, then it's not food."
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    Senior Member BENESSE's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090729/...s_food_organic

    Duh.

    I've always been annoyed by "oh its organic so it's healthy."

    Organic gardening is about self sufficiency, permaculture, or sustainability, it has nothing to do with health unless you count the exercise you get working in your garden. There are plenty of reasons to garden organically, but to buy organic produce the only reason is that you want to encourage organic gardening.

    Animal products of course are a different story, but produce doesn't care what type of fertilizer was used on it.

    Also not unhealthy, genetically engineered hybrids. Not liking such foods has nothing to do with health.
    There are actually more reasons to go with organic than not, the most compelling having to do with pesticides.
    Here's an indispensable site (of a non-profit organization) that will give you definitive answers on this topic and much more:
    http://www.cspinet.org/about/index.html

    They deal with facts so you can make up your own mind.

  4. #4

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    Pesticides don't affect the plant.

    If they're sprayed on the part we eat, which isn't often the case, you wash it off. Otherwise, no harm.

    Did you know that you can put houseplants in your house that will filter out various carcinogens from the air? Does that mean that if you eat the plant you're eating the carcinogens? No, absolutely not.

    There seems to be a lack of understand of plant biology whereby people think plants absorb chemicals, then do not change said chemicals, and simply store them in their flesh that we eat. Plants do not work like that.

    You can say pesticides are bad because they kill beneficial insects too, but is important to differentiate between that and the notion many people have that if a potato vine was sprayed with a pesticide the tubers in the roots now have pesticides in them.

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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Pesticides bad? Blasphemy!
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    Neo-Numptie DOGMAN's Avatar
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    What about soybeans? I read an article several years back (sorry,cant site it- don't remember were I read it) that talked about the danger of "Round-Up Ready" soybeans because of the amount of toxins/Round-up that were absorbed into the soybean.

    Personally, I eat "organic food" because I am discustingly wealthy and I like to flaunt it. I like to go to restaurants and cause a big scene when I find out their produce is not organic.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Uh, Jason, do you need a gopher? I'm not cheap but I am obedient.
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    Senior Member BENESSE's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
    Pesticides don't affect the plant.

    If they're sprayed on the part we eat, which isn't often the case, you wash it off. Otherwise, no harm.

    Did you know that you can put houseplants in your house that will filter out various carcinogens from the air? Does that mean that if you eat the plant you're eating the carcinogens? No, absolutely not.

    There seems to be a lack of understand of plant biology whereby people think plants absorb chemicals, then do not change said chemicals, and simply store them in their flesh that we eat. Plants do not work like that.

    You can say pesticides are bad because they kill beneficial insects too, but is important to differentiate between that and the notion many people have that if a potato vine was sprayed with a pesticide the tubers in the roots now have pesticides in them.
    Every year, new research is published demonstrating the toxicity of pesticides to human health and the environment, often at doses previously declared "safe" by the pesticide industry and the government.

    As acknowledged by the U.S. and international government agencies, different pesticides have been linked with a variety of toxic effects, including:

    * Nervous system effects
    * Carcinogenic effects
    * Hormone system effects
    * Skin, eye and lung irritation

    Pesticides are unique among the chemicals we release into the environment; they have inherent toxicity because they are designed to kill living organisms – insects, plants, and fungi that are considered "pests." Because they are toxic by design, many pesticides pose health risks to people, risks that have been acknowledged by independent research scientists and physicians across the world.

    Here's a list of the top 15 fruits and vegetables found to contain the highest amount of pesticides:

    RANK FRUIT OR VEGGIE SCORE
    1 (worst) Peach 100 (highest pesticide load)
    2 Apple 93
    3 Sweet Bell Pepper 83
    4 Celery 82
    5 Nectarine 81
    6 Strawberries 80
    7 Cherries 73
    8 Kale 69
    9 Lettuce 67
    10 Grapes - Imported 66
    11 Carrots 63
    12 Pear 63
    13 Collard Greens 60
    14 Spinach 58
    15 Potato 56

  9. #9
    Senior Member BENESSE's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
    Pesticides don't affect the plant.

    If they're sprayed on the part we eat, which isn't often the case, you wash it off. Otherwise, no harm.

    Did you know that you can put houseplants in your house that will filter out various carcinogens from the air? Does that mean that if you eat the plant you're eating the carcinogens? No, absolutely not.

    There seems to be a lack of understand of plant biology whereby people think plants absorb chemicals, then do not change said chemicals, and simply store them in their flesh that we eat. Plants do not work like that.

    You can say pesticides are bad because they kill beneficial insects too, but is important to differentiate between that and the notion many people have that if a potato vine was sprayed with a pesticide the tubers in the roots now have pesticides in them.
    Some fruits and vegetables seem to be more resistant to absorbing pesticides but most aren't--not even potatoes.

    Organically grown fruits and vegetables are not covered with synthetic fertilizers, anti-fungal treatments or radiation – and they’re not genetically modified. “Peeling also reduces exposures but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals”.
    Organic meat, eggs and dairy products come from more humanely raised animals that haven’t been pumped full of antibiotics or growth hormones.
    Another reason to support organic agriculture is that organic farms are generally smaller-scale and conservation-conscious, which means that they strive to reduce the impact of their practices on natural resources. Furthermore, many seem to maintain that organic food also tastes better.

    The Environmental Working Group suggests that switching to organic could start with just a few foods that are most often eaten. Here are the recommended seven foods to start with:
    Dairy products: Milk, yogurt and cheese are considered healthy bone-strengtheners, especially for children, but the additions of hormones and antibiotics undermine the simple goodness of commercial dairy products.

    Potatoes: Commercially farmed potatoes are among the most pesticide-filled vegetables, and they still contain residues after being washed and peeled.

    Meat (including poultry and eggs): Animal products can contain antibiotics, hormones and even heavy metals like arsenic that is used to prompt an animal’s rapid growth.

    Ketchup: Even besides the pesticide issue, research has shown organic ketchup has nearly double the good-for-you antioxidants of conventional ketchup.

    Apples: Apples are among the most pesticide-filled fruits out there. Coffee: Conventional coffee farming relies heavily on pesticide use and contributes to deforestation around the globe.

    Nuts and seeds (including peanuts and nut butters): Pesticides and fungicides are rampant in the production of these foods, and many varieties are bleached after harvest.

    The Environmental Working Group has developed the “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce”, now in its fifth edition, which ranks 43 fruits and veggies according to their pesticide content. The Association suggests that it is better to choose the organic grown varieties of peaches, nectarines, cherries, strawberries, table grapes, apples, pears, peppers, lettuce, carrots – which register the highest level of pesticides when conventionally grown.

    On the contrary, onions, avocados, corn, pineapples, mangos, asparagus, peas, kiwifruits, cabbages, aubergines, papayas, watermelons, broccoli and tomatoes don’t contain in general worrisome levels of pesticides.
    Last edited by BENESSE; 07-30-2009 at 04:00 PM.

  10. #10
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Here is a write-up by Consumer Reports:

    http://blogs.consumerreports.org/bab...organic%20food
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

  11. #11
    Not your average hick OhioHillbilly's Avatar
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    I just figure that if I don't put them on the plant, I ain't eating them. This way I don't have to worry about it, either way. I also realize that everyones situation is different.
    [B]"I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees"[/B]

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    In Thailand they spray pesticide everywhere and do not seem to worry much about regulations. However it is also easy to find organic food and I grow many of my own vegetables. There are many Thai people who live over 100 years and many of them say one reason is they eat food without pesticide.

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    Senior Member BENESSE's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by chiangmaimav View Post
    In Thailand they spray pesticide everywhere and do not seem to worry much about regulations. However it is also easy to find organic food and I grow many of my own vegetables. There are many Thai people who live over 100 years and many of them say one reason is they eat food without pesticide.
    Growing your own produce is best but if that's not feasible, buy from the local farmers who you know aren't using pesticides.
    Or, join a food co-op (bigger savings than buying organic from a grocery store),
    and if that's not possible, just buy organic where you can.

    Being prepared for a calamity also includes keeping your body as healthy as you know how. After all, if you have your health...
    But that's a whole another post.

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    Quality Control Director Ken's Avatar
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    In the true spirit of this thread, I would like to announce that this evening I consumed a non-organic 8 oz. burger (medium rare) on a non-organic bun with a side order of non-organic fries with non-organic ketchup and washed it down with a 24 oz. non-organic coffee-flavored extra thick malted frappe (what we New Englanders call a milkshake with ice cream).

    That was over an hour ago and I still feel no ill effects. If I don't post tommorrow, you'll know that something went wrong.
    “Learning is not compulsory. Neither is survival.”
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    "Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils."
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    Senior Member BENESSE's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken View Post
    In the true spirit of this thread, I would like to announce that this evening I consumed a non-organic 8 oz. burger (medium rare) on a non-organic bun with a side order of non-organic fries with non-organic ketchup and washed it down with a 24 oz. non-organic coffee-flavored extra thick malted frappe (what we New Englanders call a milkshake with ice cream).

    That was over an hour ago and I still feel no ill effects. If I don't post tommorrow, you'll know that something went wrong.
    I'm sure you'll live Ken.
    The best part of it all is the suspense of not knowing if or when
    you might feel the effects.

  16. #16
    Quality Control Director Ken's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BENESSE View Post
    I'm sure you'll live Ken.
    The best part of it all is the suspense of not knowing if or when
    you might feel the effects.
    Naaa. I already know when and how I'll die. I've even posted about it.

    I'll be 93 years old, piloting my own personal Lear Jet back from a scuba diving vacation in Aruba with my 22 year old girlfriend. The Lear Jet will experience some type of mechanical failure and crash into the sea. However, I won't see it because I'll be in the back with my 22 year old girlfriend.........
    “Learning is not compulsory. Neither is survival.”
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    "Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils."
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    Senior Member SARKY's Avatar
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    Then how can you be piloting the jet???
    I know what hunts you.

  18. #18
    Quality Control Director Ken's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SARKY View Post
    Then how can you be piloting the jet???
    Autopilot. Forgot to mention that.
    “Learning is not compulsory. Neither is survival.”
    W. Edwards Deming

    "Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils."
    General John Stark

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    In his dreams, Sarky. In his dreams. ZZZZzzzzzzzzz.
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    Quality Control Director Ken's Avatar
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    Does anybody have a "BAN BUTTON" that they'd like to sell????
    “Learning is not compulsory. Neither is survival.”
    W. Edwards Deming

    "Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils."
    General John Stark

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