Photo Gallery: 6 surprising reasons to go organic

Radha Marcum, Delicious Living

Aug. 29, 2012

1. You love apples

Or almonds, avocados, blueberries, broccoli, cantaloupe, celery, cherries, citrus, cucumbers, and other foods that depend heavily on bee pollination. Climate change, parasites, and habitat loss are all implicated in the alarming worldwide bee die-off (more than a quarter of all U.S. hives have perished since 1990), but a slew of recent studies finger common conventional pesticides, such as neonicotinoids, as major culprits in colony collapse disorder.

A Harvard University study released in April showed that bees die even when pesticide exposure is very low—less than the exposure from a pesticide-sprayed field, for example, or from the amount found in the high-fructose corn syrup used to feed hives.
2. Salmon is a personal favorite.

It might not seem evident that soil-grown foods affect waterborne species, but agriculture and ecosystems are inextricably linked. Such is the case with salmon, says Maureen Wilmot, executive director of the Organic Farming Research Foundation. “Pesticides and herbicides commonly used for cotton, corn, soybeans, vineyards, and orchards deform fish backbones; they’re harmful to aquatic plants that make up the salmon habitat, and they are toxic to the plants and insects that the salmon eat,” she says.

Earlier this year, conservationists and the National Marine Fisheries Service formally took up the issue with the Environmental Protection Agency. Their documentation highlighted the need for tougher restrictions on pesticide use around streams that support Pacific salmon, an endangered species. Organic farming is part of the solution, says Wilmot.
3. You value your brain and heart.

Humans need omega-3 fatty acids for optimal brain and cardiovascular function. But omega-6s, overabundant in the typical American diet, can exert the opposite effect, promoting heart disease, poor eye health, and some types of cancer, among other health problems.

In tests, organic dairy foods rank significantly higher in omega-3s and lower in omega-6s compared with conventional dairy, says Chuck Benbrook, chief science consultant at The Organic Center. This makes sense because organic dairy cows eat more grass, a natural source of omega-3s. Organic pasture rules have tightened in recent years and, earlier this year, Organic Valley launched Grassmilk, a new product made with milk from 100 percent grass-fed cows.

Think you might be close to the right ratio? Even if you’re eating three to four servings of fruits and vegetables a day and generally have a diverse diet, says Benbrook, you’re still probably consuming six to ten omega-6s for every one omega-3. “To get anywhere close to the optimal 2:1 ratio you have to make many conscious choices, including avoiding foods that are heavily corn based, such as corn oil and conventional dairy.”
4. You’re pregnant—or feeding someone who is.

It’s nearly impossible to entirely avoid exposure to pesticides in some form or another, from tainted dust in the air to field runoff in drinking water, but the less contact during pregnancy the better. Eating organic foods during this critical time reduces the overall toxic load of such chemicals on a woman’s developing child. That matters now and later: Pesticides are linked to gestational diabetes in expectant mothers, low birth weight, and increased risk for ADHD in children.

What’s more, studies indicate that babies exposed in utero to common organophosphate pesticides (the same chemicals used in nerve agents during World War II and now widely used in agricultural and household insecticides) have lower IQs beginning at 12 months and continuing into early childhood. Brain scans show that these chemicals can significantly alter the structure of the developing brain.
5. You don’t want a SAD salad.

Turns out, the same pitfalls (excess calories and deficient nutrients) underlying the Standard American Diet (SAD) apply to the plant foods themselves. Conventionally grown plants are fed their own junk food: nitrogen fertilizer. “A big part of what’s wrong with the American diet can be traced to farmers using too much nitrogen fertilizer to keep pushing yields higher,” Benbrook says.

Bigger plants and higher yields do not add up to more nutrition, he warns. Rather, nitrogen-spiked plants produce more simple carbohydrates—sugars and starches. “This increases the likelihood that whatever antioxidants, vitamins, or minerals [are present in the vegetable or fruit] are going to get bound up with sugar,” Benbrook says. And the more sugar present in a food or in your digestive tract, the less your body can access a food’s nutrients.
6. You delight in variety.

Another personal reason I buy organic: the experience, especially when shopping with my kids. They’re young and still figuring out what they like (and don’t like) about food, and it’s delightful to explore the produce aisle with them as they pester me with questions. This year they even brought home a nice juicy organic jicama for Mother’s Day.

Food diversity pleases adults, too; if you get locked into eating one type of tomato and just the basic russet potato, you’re bound to get bored. Organic farmers offer the chance to expand your culinary horizons and to tap into your inherent curiosity and creativity—which leads to a joy in simple, good, healthy foods. And that, to me, is a huge part of what organic is all about.

Over the past decade, organic has really taken off. What started as a niche movement has matured into a celebrated and robust segment of the U.S. food economy. According to a recent Organic Trade Association study,

78 percent of American families now buy organic foods, raising organic’s share of total U.S. food sales to just over 4 percent in 2011.

There are so many benefits to buying organic foods: no harmful additives, no synthetic pesticides, and no growth hormones, plus more nutrition from higher antioxidant content, to name a few. Whether you’re deeply committed to eating organic whenever possible or just try to buy it when you can, read on to discover some less-obvious reasons you might choose organic, and the surprising impacts those purchases have on your health, your family’s well-being, and the planet.

Discuss this Gallery 1

Kaynbauer (not verified)

on Sep 5, 2012

Can you please start citing your sources so I can do further research on these topics to see if this is a realistic study or made up gibberish? I really want to get to the bottom of it all.
Thank you. :x

6 surprising reasons to go organic

1. You love apples

2. Salmon is a personal favorite.

3. You value your brain and heart.

4. You’re pregnant—or feeding someone who is.

5. You don’t want a SAD salad.

6. You delight in variety.

Discuss this Gallery 1

Post new comment

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6 surprising reasons to go organic

1. You love apples

2. Salmon is a personal favorite.

3. You value your brain and heart.

4. You’re pregnant—or feeding someone who is.

5. You don’t want a SAD salad.

6. You delight in variety.

Related Media

Discuss this Gallery 1

Post new comment

DeliciousLiving.com

Site Features

New Hope Natural Media

Follow Us

Search DeliciousLiving.com