Organic Fruits, Vegetables, Eggs and Meat are More Healthy

[TheMyth]

Organic Fruits, Vegetables, Eggs and Meat are More Healthy

Organic fruits and vegetables are more likely to contain bacterial contamination than conventionally grown foods and are therefore less healthy. The sale of organic fruits and vegetables is a scam because many of these products could only be grown using pesticides. Those big, beautiful, perfectly formed "organic" apples in the store are a fraud because worm-free apples are absolutely impossible to grow without pesticides. Organic producers are driven by outrageous profit margins to support their propaganda.

"Researchers are still looking for the first human death from pesticide residues, fifty years after DDT was introduced and thirty years after its use was banned in the United States, but manure is apparently claiming lives almost daily through bacterial contamination of organic food."

"What most people don't realize - and activists try to hide - is that organic farmers are allowed to use a wide array of natural chemicals as pest killers. Moreover, these natural poisons pose the same theoretical (but remote) dangers as the synthetic pesticides so hated by organic devotees."

Exposing the Myths, Dangers and Lies About Organic Food.

Imported meats and most of our winter fruits and vegetables come from foreign countries in Central America or the Southern Hemisphere. Some come from local hot houses. Growers can be growing plants of illegal drugs in one field and animals, fruits or vegetables in another. They will quickly sell their meat and produce with the fraudulent claim that it is "organically grown" in order to get the larger price premium. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Not only are they using pesticides, antibiotics and hormones to get the most productivity, but many products have been found contaminated with chemicals which are illegal in all English speaking countries. The word "organic" is almost meaningless because of cheating in the food industry. Buying organic products is a foolish waste of money that only serves to encourage and benefit the cheaters.

No studies have proven that organic fruits and vegetables provide any health benefit. The assumptions is purely conjecture based on assuming non-organic foods contain unhealthy levels of pesticides or herbicides. To the contrary, studies have consistently shown no discernable health difference between organic and non organic foods.

Organic Food: Food for Thought?
by David M. Klurfeld, Ph.D., American Council on Science and Health.

On February 4, 2000, the ABC News show 20/20 presented a report about organic foods by John Stossel—a report that asked these questions about cleanliness, nutritional value and environmental impact of organic versus conventionally grown produce.

The 20/20 investigators examined produce for cleanliness by measuring the bacterial count in water used to wash it, as well as the presence of pesticide residues. They found that only about five percent of all food samples were contaminated with bacteria. But, organic produce had more bacterial contamination than conventional products. Specifically, sprouts and precut salad greens from organic suppliers had more bacteria. One-third of all sprouts sampled had E. coli bacteria on them and organic ones had twice the number of bacteria as the nonorganic vegetables. E. coli bacteria are markers of fecal contamination—probably due to the use of manure as fertilizer.

Interestingly, there were not any pesticide residues on any of the produce sampled—organic or conventional, collected in two states. This is an important point. Relatively small percentages of produce have detectable levels of pesticides. This same result was found by Consumers Reports in March 1999, but that publication emphasized the presence of the pesticides which came from only a few products.

If we look at these results on cleanliness in terms of current risks, it is important to note that we have an estimated 5,000 - 10,000 deaths a year in the United States from food-borne bacteria but none from pesticides.

What about the nutrition issue? There is no evidence that organic food is more nutritious or healthier for people even though they pay a high premium. Not a single published study has shown any difference in the nutrient content of organic versus conventional farm products.

Organic crops do not score better than traditional ones in terms of safety, nutrition, or the environment. In fact, sometimes they may not be as safe and they almost always cost more.

Dr. Klurfeld is Scientific Advisor to the American Council on Science and Health, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at Wayne State University.

Organic foods do not taste better than conventionally grown foods. Taste is a matter of freshness and being allowed to grow to ripeness before harvest.

Organic fruits and vegetables are much more likely to be contaminated with unhealthy E. coli and other bacteria. Many deaths have been traced to fruits and vegetables from an outbreak of E. coli bacteria. Conventionally grown vegetables have been shown to be more healthy because they contain less bacterial contamination.
Organic Foods: Will Certification Protect Consumers?
Organic Food May Hold Hidden Dangers - Angelo State University.
The Contamination of Organic Produce by Human Pathogens in Animal Manures.

Many people have become so paranoid about pesticides that they think they will surely develop cancer if conventionally farmed produce is eaten. This is a myth because present day pesticides are tested extensively for safety. As a teenager on a farm the author was literally drenched in pesticides including DDT, Malathion and two others. My father put four different pesticides in the tank of a heavy duty sprayer that was pulled behind the tractor. The sprayer had a 1" (25 mm) diameter hose and a pump discharge pressure of 400 pounds per square inch (27.6 bars) that would literally drench a full-grown apple tree in seconds. The high-pressure, high-volume spray created a cloudy mist of over spray which left me with a pure white coating of pesticides as the moisture evaporated. The pesticide remained on my arms, neck and face for several hours until spraying was completed. I received more pesticide in each spraying than the average person receives in a lifetime. This was repeated for many years with spraying done several times each year. My mother was not exposed to the pesticide to any significant extent but died of cancer at age 50. Neither of my sisters was exposed but both have had cancer. One sister also had an appendectomy and gallbladder removal. She is diabetic and has irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Her height has decreased a full inch (25mm) and she appears to have degenerative disk disease. The other sister has also had an appendectomy, a heart attack and a Candida ***** infection. Yet, I continue to be in perfect health with absolutely no discernable effect from the pesticide overdose. Maybe the pesticides prevent cancer, heart disease, diabetes and IBS.

The myth that "free-range" chicken eggs is more healthy is related to the beef scam concerning Omega-3 fatty acids. The plea to eat eggs only from "free-range" chickens is a scam. Keeping chickens and turkeys in cages is perfectly fine. Chickens and turkeys must be the dumbest birds in the world, as those who have raised them can attest. Commercial "free-range" chickens may be given an access to an outside area but it is usually nothing but barren dirt where they rarely go. The idea they are walking around in the grass eating insects is simple ignorance. When given the chance to be free they will return to their cage. Chickens would certainly stop laying eggs if the cage caused them to be under stress, but they lay eggs even more frequently. The Omega-3 egg is also a scam. Oh, certainly they could have a tiny bit more Omega-3 fatty acids, if the producer is not cheating. Eggs should not be depended upon as your source for Omega-3 fats because all eggs are inadequate in Omega-3 fats. It is much less expensive to buy regular eggs and eat some cold water fish or take cod liver oil as mentioned below. A reader sent comments about "free-range" chickens.

"I agree with you the "free range" idea is bunk. I have been to a "free range" farm. It consisted of huge barns of chickens (10,000 per barn) that were meandering across concrete floors. That's what free range means here in New England."

One tablespoon of cod liver oil has more Omega-3 fatty acid than four (4) dozen eggs.

Look for Carlson's Lemon Flavored Cod Liver Oil and avoid the capsules. Omega-3 fats become easily oxidized and rancid as identified by the smell. Food processors remove them from their products to increase shelf life and eliminate the need for refrigeration.