Thinking Green: Organic foods good for the body, cheap and easy to buy
Amelia Wolf
Issue date: 4/28/09 Section: Opinion
There is a half-proven myth surrounding the idea of whether organic food is, in fact, healthier than conventional foods. More importantly, college students tend to believe organic food is unaffordable.
On the contrary, if you know where to look, you can have your kitchen stocked with organic goods.
In order for a product to be considered organic, non-organic pesticides, insecticides and herbicides must not be used. These chemicals have the potential to harm soil, water, local wildlife and aquatic life; traces of these chemicals are left on the products when consumers purchase them. Therefore, regular people like ourselves are frequently allowing these chemicals into our bodies. As for livestock, no antibiotics or growth hormones can be used, and they are usually fed a healthy diet. In most countries, organic produce cannot be genetically modified. Organic farms also tend to be small, family-run farms, one of the many reasons organic goods are frequently more expensive.
There are three main reasons organic food is seen as the healthier choice over conventional foods. The most prominent rationale deals with pesticides. Organic farms do not consume and do not release synthetic pesticides into the environment. This protects surrounding wildlife and consumers from ingesting chemicals into their body. The second main factor is that organic farms are able to sustain diverse ecosystems, meaning they can naturally sustain a population of plants, insects and animals that is substantially larger than the ecosystem of a conventional farm. The last factor is that organic farms use less energy and produce less waste in a calculated area than that of a conventional farm; organic farms are much more efficient.
Since 1993, discoveries have been made relating child exposure to pesticides to their diet. The National Research Council published a study in 1993 showing that infants and children were mostly exposed to pesticides through their diet.
In 2006, strict tests were performed to determine the levels of organophosphorus pesticide in 23 schoolchildren before and after their regular diet was replaced with organic food. The study discovered that the levels of pesticide dramatically dropped immediately when the students switched to an organic diet.
On the contrary, if you know where to look, you can have your kitchen stocked with organic goods.
In order for a product to be considered organic, non-organic pesticides, insecticides and herbicides must not be used. These chemicals have the potential to harm soil, water, local wildlife and aquatic life; traces of these chemicals are left on the products when consumers purchase them. Therefore, regular people like ourselves are frequently allowing these chemicals into our bodies. As for livestock, no antibiotics or growth hormones can be used, and they are usually fed a healthy diet. In most countries, organic produce cannot be genetically modified. Organic farms also tend to be small, family-run farms, one of the many reasons organic goods are frequently more expensive.
There are three main reasons organic food is seen as the healthier choice over conventional foods. The most prominent rationale deals with pesticides. Organic farms do not consume and do not release synthetic pesticides into the environment. This protects surrounding wildlife and consumers from ingesting chemicals into their body. The second main factor is that organic farms are able to sustain diverse ecosystems, meaning they can naturally sustain a population of plants, insects and animals that is substantially larger than the ecosystem of a conventional farm. The last factor is that organic farms use less energy and produce less waste in a calculated area than that of a conventional farm; organic farms are much more efficient.
Since 1993, discoveries have been made relating child exposure to pesticides to their diet. The National Research Council published a study in 1993 showing that infants and children were mostly exposed to pesticides through their diet.
In 2006, strict tests were performed to determine the levels of organophosphorus pesticide in 23 schoolchildren before and after their regular diet was replaced with organic food. The study discovered that the levels of pesticide dramatically dropped immediately when the students switched to an organic diet.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Maria Simon
posted 8/05/09 @ 1:35 AM EST
Everyone is going GREEN! Here is a funny graphic about "going GREEN" It's clean, funny, virus free. check it out!
http://www.typobounty.com/Funny/Going_Green. (Continued…)
Post a Comment