Why eat organic?

Today's post written by Dr. Joanna.

"Organic" products and organic foods have become a buzzing topic as of lately. Not surprisingly, consumers are often confused as to what organic really means. This article will look to answer some of the most common questions about buying organic and the benefits of choosing certain organic foods over non-organic foods.

What is Organic?

Use of the term Organic is monitored by the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). The NOP uses the word "Organic" to mean that a food or produce is grown or raised without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, in an area that is not contaminated by sewage, and does not involve genetically modified organisms or ionizing radiation[1]. "Organic" meat means that the animals are not raised with or given antibiotics or growth hormones.

The USDA NOP has created three categories of organic. 100% Organic is a top grade Organic product and all ingredients in the product are made according to the USDA organic farming standards. The second category is labeled simply as Organic which means that at least 95% of the ingredients are organic.  The third category is "Made with Organic Ingredients" which signifies that at least 70% of ingredients are made according to USDA's organic standards without any genetically modified organisms.

Don't get tricked!!!

Products that contain less than 70% organic ingredients may still have labels boasting about their few organic components; this does not mean that the product is considered an organic product!!

Look for the Seal

The USDA Organic seal assures buyers that the product comes from a manufacturer or farm that has an Organic-certified program and system plan and that all records of product production are verified in accordance to that plant. Manufacturers and farms that produce food that hold this seal are inspected annually unannounced to ensure standards are met and maintained.

Why Buy Organic??

Pesticides belong to a group of chemicals intended to kill living organisms and are intended to be toxic material. Consuming small amounts of pesticides each day may lead to a build-up of these toxic materials in the body. Pesticides in and on food have been linked to a variety of health problems including skin, eye, and lung irritation, cancers, nervous system side effects, and changes in hormone levels[2]. Organic produce is grown to be "earth friendly", without pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Although some foods nutritional content does not change depending on whether the food is organic or not, the presence of pesticides does!!!

What to buy Organic

According to the Environmental Working Group, the most contaminated foods are peaches, strawberries, apples, domestic blueberries, nectarines, cherries and imported grapes; buy these fruits organic! Of the vegetables: celery, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale, collard greens and potatoes are best to buy organic because these vegetables retain the most pesticides[3]
Naturally lower in Pesticides
The vegetables least likely to test positive for pesticides are onions, sweet corn, sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, eggplant

and sweet potatoes. Lower pesticide containing fruits include avocados, pineapples, mangoes, kiwi, domestic cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit and honeydew.

For a complete list of pesticide content for fruits and vegetables go to www.foodnews.org

Your Shopping List for Organic Foods:

Buy these Organic
(15 Listed from most pesticide-containing to least)

1.Celery
2. Peaches
3.Strawberries
4.Apples
5.Domestic Blueberries
6.Nectarines
7.Sweet Bell Peppers
8.Spinach
9.Kale/ Collard Greens
10.Cherries
11.Potatoes
12.imported Grapes
13.Lettuce
14.Imported Blueberries
15.Carrots

References:
[1] http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/NOP

[2] http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/pest.htm
[3] www.foodnews.org

Follow Dr. Joanna on Twitter

Find her on Face Book

Comments

[Donna~! Blessed Nest]

Thank you Dr. Joanna for posting this list and info. It's encouraging to see a pediatrician see the benefit of eating organic. I have personally been healthy and my kids too with no illness the past two years. I've lost 50 pounds and feel great eating organic and baking our own breads!

[Carr17]

I'm not too excited about buying organic. It is not true that "organic" means "pesticide-free." There are a whole set of pesticides labeled for organic production, and I'm not convinced these are any safer than conventional pesticides. Pyrethrins in particular... they are a nerve toxin used in organic farming to kill insects. Sure, they're "natural" and made from a flower, but they can harm a person too. I think the whole "organic" idea is hype. We all want safer food and are willing to pay for it, but I'm just not convinced this is what I want. I want something even better. I'm not afraid to buy organic food, but based on the price, I'm not convinced it is even worth trying. Whatever you buy... just be sure you wash the heck out of it before munching. Oh yes, and the one major problem with using manure instead of synthetic fertilizer... is you can't use no-till farming methods. This is a problem during a dry year, and in droughty areas. Remember the dust bowl..... I don't think that "organic" = "sustainable" and can create some real problems.

[Donna~ Blessed Nest]

Hi Carr- Thank you for your comment. I agree that a label can say organic and be "green washed instead" not really being organic. As far as organic being hype, I think it depends on who is talking. There are a lot of companies putting the natural label on items and for those who are not familiar with processing could think that these items are better for them. Yet. natural really does not mean healthier. We all have to research and make a educated decision for ourselves and family. When a food item is certified organic I choose it for my family. I purchase on a budget instead of pricing per item. This helps me purchase items I choose for my family without breaking the bank.
Love the discussion. Thank you for bringing up some great points.