What The Experts Say
An educated mind is willing to change the way it sees things when presented with new and valid information.
In the case of the ancient ways with regards to food and eating, and natural and/or organic nutrition, it would be more accurate to say that an educated mind is willing to change the way it sees things when presented with newly validated, old information. True enough, many experts in the medical, health, and nutrition fields have shown such educated open-mindedness when they acknowledged the real health value of the natural and/or organic way of eating.
It is a sad realization that many experts and professionals in these fields are less concerned about promoting lasting good health and nutrition and more concerned about serving the financial goals of the giant commercial agribusiness industry.
But with the explosion of information available to practically anyone in the world with access to the internet, the voices of those in these fields who wish to correct our unhealthy eating habits and steer us back towards the natural and organic can now be heard more loudly and clearly. They are matching and, perhaps, even drowning out the voices of those who wish to discredit and take down the proponents of natural and/or organic eating.
Here are some excerpts from various health and nutrition sites and experts that present an excellent case for natural and/or organic eating.
Article: Top 10 Reasons To Go Organic – by Renee Loux, November 2011
“Eating organically grown foods is the only way to avoid the cocktail of chemical poisons present in commercially grown food. More than 600 active chemicals are registered for agricultural use in America, to the tune of billions of pounds annually. The average application equates to about 16 pounds of chemical pesticides per person every year. Many of these chemicals were approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before extensive diet testing.
The National Academy of Sciences reports that 90% of the chemicals applied to foods have not been tested for long-term health effects before being deemed ‘safe’. Further, the FDA tests only 1% of foods for pesticide residue. The most dangerous and toxic pesticides require special testing methods, which are rarely if ever employed by the FDA.”
“Organically grown foods have more nutrients—vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and micronutrients—than commercially grown foods because the soil is managed and nourished with sustainable practices by responsible standards. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine conducted a review of 41 published studies comparing the nutritional value of organically grown and conventionally grown fruits, vegetables, and grains and concluded that there are significantly more of several nutrients in organic foods crops.”
“Tens of millions of pounds of antibiotics are used in animal feed every year. The union of concerned scientists estimates that roughly 70% of antibiotics produced in the United States are fed to animals for non-therapeutic purposes. US farmers have been giving sex hormones and growth hormones to cattle to artificially increase the amount of meat and milk the cattle produce without requiring extra feed. The hormones fed to cows cannot be broken down, even at high temperatures. Therefore they remain in complete form and pass directly into the consumer’s diet when meat is eaten.”
“Many scientists and experts warn that rampant use of antibiotics in animal feed, like penicillin and tetracycline, will breed an epidemic that medicine has no defense against. Karim Ahmed, PhD, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) states that it ‘is perhaps one of the most serious public health problems the country faces. We’re talking about rendering many of the most important antibiotics ineffective.’ ”
“Agricultural chemicals, pesticides, and fertilizers are contaminating our environment, poisoning our precious water supplies, and destroying the value of fertile farmland. […] According to Cornell entomologist David Pimentel, it is estimated that only 0.1% of applied pesticides reach the target pests. The bulk of pesticides (99.%) is left to impact the environment.”
Article: 6 Health Benefits of Eating Organic Food By Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM, September 2013
“The claims that GMOs and breeding are virtually identical and safe are clearly nonsense, with studies like the one done by Gilles-Eric Séralini showing that rats fed a diet of Roundup-Ready GM corn developed massive tumors and died younger.”
“One study showed that organic fruits and veggies contain 27% more vitamin C, 21.1% more iron, 29.3% more magnesium, 13.6% more phosphorus, and 18% more polyphenols.”
Article: Organic Food Is ‘Natural’ – Worth the Extra Cost By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD, August 2007
“ ‘If you can afford them, buy them,’ recommends New York University professor Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH. ‘It really is a personal choice but how can anyone think substances, such as pesticides, capable of killing insects, can be good for you? ’ ”
Article: Organic vs. conventional: What do experts say? CNN.com – By Amy Spindler, April 2007
“Charles Benbrook, Ph.D., chief scientist at The Organic Centerexternal, asserts that some organic products are less processed, which means they may contain fewer chemically adulterated ingredients (think hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives).”
“Organic advocates counter that chemicals used in conventional farming spread far beyond the fields where they are applied and have unintended consequences. ‘Synthetic pesticides have been linked to developmental and neurological problems,’ Benbrook says. ‘Organics eliminate synthetic pesticides and the damage they do to farmers, land, and drinking water.‘ ”
It will only take a bit of your time to do your own research about the health benefits of eating naturally and/or organically grown foods – a few hours, perhaps, that will benefit you for a lifetime. If you’re on this website, then you are off to a great start! Θ
