Should You Go ORGANIC?
Organically made products – everything from fruits and vegetables to comfort food like macaroni and cheese, and organic wine and beer – are flooding the marketplace. From niche markets to health food stores, grocery stores, supermarkets and even Wal-Mart, you can find them everywhere.
In fact, nearly three-quarters of Americans buy organic products at least occasionally, while 23 percent go organic weekly, according to Laurie Demeritt, president and chief operating officer of the Hartman Group, a market research firm in Bellevue, Wash.
What does organic mean? To earn the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s organic certification, the land must be free from prohibited substances such as synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and other potential toxins for at least three years. “For most consumers, organic means less processed or unprocessed,” Demeritt says. “The top reasons for organic usage are related to absence of pesticides or growth hormones.”
Despite the perceived health and environmental benefits, buying “all organic” for most people is not an option. Expense, availability and convenience stand in the way. So, the question becomes which foods should you buy organically and when? It’s easier to make a decision once you understand what organic means within the following categories: produce, meat, eggs, dairy and processed foods.
Produce
Organic fruits and vegetables are grown without pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Some produce such as apples, berries, green beans and spinach are more vulnerable to pests (and more heavily pesticide-protected) than worry-free produce like bananas, oranges and broccoli. But are these foods healthier?“ There have been a couple of studies that suggest some produce may have larger amounts of certain nutrients,” says registered dietitian Sue Moores, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and a nutrition consultant in St. Paul, Minn. “Organic practices affect how food is grown and, in some cases, that may yield more nutrition [better soil].”
When plants aren’t coated in pesticides to help fight off disease, they develop stronger compounds to protect themselves. If you eat that produce, you get those disease-fighting compounds, too. What’s more, organic produce often has better flavor than conventionally grown foods. Since they’re usually locally grown, they ripen later and are picked at their peak instead of being picked early to ensure survival during shipping.
Meat & Eggs
The main concern here relates to hormones and antibiotics. Conventionally raised animals are literally pumped with these substances to enhance growth, increase milk production and prevent dise ase. And the “treatments” are subsequently passed onto consumers through the animals’ fat cells.“ The concern is that resistant bacteria will grow and the antibiotics we use will not effectively treat them,” Moores says. “Producers are seeing the push back from consumers on antibiotic use.”
Purchasing lower-fat varieties may reduce your exposure to these chemicals, but buying organic guarantees a product free of hormones and antibiotics. And animals raised organically can’t feed on genetically altered grains (or on land treated with chemicals).
Milk
Almost all milk, organic or not, comes from cows living in confined areas. What sets organic milk apart is what the cows eat: Grain that has not been genetically altered and feed containing no animal byproducts (the same standards as the meat and egg category).In terms of nutritional benefit, a study from England found that organic milk has higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which boost health and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, than non-organic milk. Other studies have shown organic milk has higher levels of vitamin E and other antioxidants, as well as minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium and chromium.
Processed foods
The majority of packaged crackers, cookies and chips contain a component from a genetically modified crop such as canola, soy and corn oils, cornstarch, and high fructose corn syrup. Genetic modification involves gene transfer between plants or animals to yield a crop with more nutrients, better flavor, increased production and greater resistance to spoilage (reducing the need for pesticides).
Some experts argue that genetic modification introduces food allergens and disturbs the natural order of the environment, potentially creating harmful mutations. “Here, the biggest benefit of going organic seems to be for the environment, particularly in terms of groundwater contamination and soil erosion,” Moores says.Bottom line
If going organic 100 percent of the time isn’t an option for you, choose the most affordable and sensible foods for your unique circumstances.Organic dairy, for example, may be the most reasonable option if you’ve just had a baby. In fact, Hartman Group research indicates that having children is the most significant reason to go organic. In fact, anyone whose immunity is compromised (i.e., cancer or HIV) should consider eating organic products.
“ As interest in organics grows, it will pay for consumers to ask questions and learn more about the foods they eat, how they were grown and arrived on their plate,” Moores says. There’s no time like the present!
Here are the top 12 most pesticide-laden foods when grown conventionally, according to a study done by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research organization.
Peaches, Strawberries, Apples, Spinach, Nectarines, Celery, Pears, Cherries, Grapes (imported), Raspberries Potatoes Sweet bell peppers
The least contaminated are:
Sweet corn, Avocado, Cauliflower, Asparagus, Onions, Peas, Broccoli, Pineapples, Mangoes, Bananas, Kiwi, & Papaya.
Dear Dr. Mirkin:
Are trans fats as bad as we’ve been led to believe?A study from Harvard Medical School on almost 33,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study shows that eating a diet high in partially hydrogenated fats triples a woman’s chances of suffering heart disease (Circulation, April 10, 2007). Researchers can tell how much partially hydrogenated fat a person eats by measuring its content in red blood cells. In this study, the women with high levels of partially hydrogenated fats in their red blood cells were far more likely to have high blood levels of the bad LDL cholesterol and low blood levels of the good HDL cholesterol.
Many manufacturers are eliminating trans fats from their products, but they are still found in many processed foods such as cookies, doughnuts, cakes, chips and fried foods. New York City passed laws banning restaurants from serving foods containing trans fat, and other cities are following their lead. When you shop, remember that nutrition labels can proclaim, “zero grams of trans fat” if a single serving contains less than half a gram. That can add up to a lot of trans fats when you eat several servings. You can protect yourself by reading the list of ingredients on all packaged foods, and avoiding those that include the words “partially hydrogenated” before any type of vegetable oil.
This health info is provided with the permission of Dr. Gabe Mirkin, M.D. Dr. Mirkin has practiced medicine for more than 40 years and is board-certified in four specialties: Allergy and Immunology, Sports Medicine, Pediatrics and Pediatric Immunology. Visit www.drmirkin.com
Healthy Cereal Tops Sports Drink After Workout
After a lengthy bout of physical exercise, eating a bowl of healthy cereal with skim milk may help muscles recover at least as well as, if not better, than downing a specialized sports drink, according to research reported at the American College of Sports Medicine meeting in New Orleans.
Exercise damages muscle tissue, and milk and a 100-percent whole-wheat cereal, which contain protein and carbohydrate, help rebuild damaged tissue, Lynne Kammer who led the study, told reporters.
“ Sports drinks may have an advantage in convenience,” she said. “But for the large population of people that exercise close to home, eating a bowl of cereal with milk is just as good as anything that is more exotic and expensive.”
Kammer, a graduate student working under Dr. John Ivy at University of Texas at Austin, had 12 athletes (8 men and 4 women) fast for 12 hours, then cycle for 2 hours at least 5 days apart on a stationary bicycle. The subject did not ride to exhaustion. Immediately after each ride, the athletes consumed either a 100-percent whole-wheat flake cereal with nonfat milk or a typical carbohydrate-packed sports drink.
The drink and the small meal both produced a healthy rise in blood sugar and insulin levels; however, during recovery, cereal raised insulin significantly more and blunted the rise in blood lactate compared with the sports drink.
“ What we showed was that cereal and milk was good for protein synthesis, or muscle rebuilding, after exercise. Because of the protein in the milk you would expect to see this,” Kammer said.
“ But what was most surprising,” she said, “was that the lactate in the blood was greatly reduced after consuming the cereal and milk as compared to the sports drink – and that’s a good thing.”
The cereal and milk, and the sports, drink helped the body replenish depleted glycogen – a fuel the body uses during exercise – but the cereal and milk displayed greater glycogen storage potential. Tests showed the tired muscles were ready to store additional glycogen after the cereal-and-milk regimen, even after glycogen had already been synthesized, Kammer explained.
So when exercising close to home, Kammer says – skip the sports drink and grab a bowl of whole-grain cereal.
This Month’s “Superfood”
TomatoesLycopene, the pigment that makes tomatoes red, appears to reduce risk for cardiovascular disease & many cancers including colorectal, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, & pancreatic, as well as macular degeneration. Fresh tomatoes provide a good dose of lycopene; the most absorbable forms are found in cooked tomato products such as spaghetti sauce.
Bruschetta
A perfect summer appetizer or side dish – fresh tomatoes & herbs make it healthy & pretty.
INGREDIENTS
2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 (1 lb.) loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch slices
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheeseTO MAKE
1. Preheat oven to 400° F
2. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, olive oil, oregano, basil & parsley. Place bread on a baking sheet, top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until bottom of bread is browned. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.Nutrition Info per Serving: Calories 178; Total Fat 7.3g; Cholesterol 3mg; Sodium 305mg; Total Carbs 22.8g; Dietary Fiber 1.9g; Protein 5.7g
