organic foods

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glenr79
glenr79 Posts: 283 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Can anyone explain to me how organic foods work, if they taste good, and if so what should I buy?

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  • kgagnon7779
    kgagnon7779 Posts: 216
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    Check these out:

    http://www.eatingwell.com/food_news_origins/organic_natural/12_foods_you_should_buy_organic
    http://www.eatingwell.com/food_news_origins/organic_natural/15_foods_you_dont_need_to_buy_organic

    I think they taste better, but sometimes I just think it's in my head and I'm justifying why I'm paying so much more for it!
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    it's food that hasn't been treated with chemicals. Some are die hard about it, but in the long run you can get veggie wash and save some money. things that are more beneficial to buy organic, are those where you eat the part open to the air. ergo broccoli, and peaches.
  • kaweenf
    kaweenf Posts: 15 Member
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    As a scientist (biochemical engineer), I have to weigh in here. There is absolutely no study that proves that organic foods are unequivocally "healthier" than regular foods. There was a study done, however, that shows that organic foods contain fewer synthetic pesticide residue toxins than conventionally-grown food (which should be common sense, since pesticides are not used when growing organic). That being the case, however, that same study showed that organic foods do contain much higher levels of mycoplasma than conventionally-grown food. Mycoplasma are bacteria that lack cell walls and therefore much more deadly once they get into your system. These are the bacteria that morph into the "superbugs" we all hear about on the news. That being said, eating organic won't give you superbugs. In either case, pesticide toxin or mycoplasma, the concentration is so small that it will have virtually no effects on your body unless you eat (literally) tons of the stuff on a daily basis for years.

    I guess in the end it comes down to what you'd prefer to be posioned with: pesticides or killer bacteria. Just my two cents.
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
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    As a scientist (biochemical engineer), I have to weigh in here. There is absolutely no study that proves that organic foods are unequivocally "healthier" than regular foods. There was a study done, however, that shows that organic foods contain fewer synthetic pesticide residue toxins than conventionally-grown food (which should be common sense, since pesticides are not used when growing organic). That being the case, however, that same study showed that organic foods do contain much higher levels of mycoplasma than conventionally-grown food. Mycoplasma are bacteria that lack cell walls and therefore much more deadly once they get into your system. These are the bacteria that morph into the "superbugs" we all hear about on the news. That being said, eating organic won't give you superbugs. In either case, pesticide toxin or mycoplasma, the concentration is so small that it will have virtually no effects on your body unless you eat (literally) tons of the stuff on a daily basis for years.

    I guess in the end it comes down to what you'd prefer to be posioned with: pesticides or killer bacteria. Just my two cents.

    There have been many studies showing that non-organic food has more pesticide residues than organic. (It's also sort of common sense.) However, I am unable to find any information at all about organic foods and mycoplasma. Could you provide a source?

    There are other advantages to eating organic. It is more sustainable. The farming practices are better. Organic foods contain no GMOs, which we still aren't sure are actually safe for humans to eat. And pesticides have been linked to cancer, among other things.
  • FitForever298
    FitForever298 Posts: 5
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    Organic just means truly all natural. No synthetic pesticides, fertilizers or hormones were added to the food in order to make it larger (so companies can sell as much as possible on a little money as possible) or brighter, juicer, more appealing to the eye etc. It's cheaper to buy non-organic food items, but it's much much healthier to buy organic fruits and veggies and organic free range meat and poultry. When you start eating organic it is a switch in taste but only slightly and once you get use to it you won't want anything else.

    I learned a tip though and use it when I'm shopping. Any fruit or veggie with a thin skin or peel such as apples, peaches and tomatoes you should probably buy organic because more of the pesticides and hormones can easily permeate through the skin. Any fruit/veggie with a thick skin such as bananas and oranges can be bought with less worry. That's how I balance my budget but still eat as natural as possible. EarthFare is a great place to go if you have one near you. They have a variety of coupons and deals.
  • CRody44
    CRody44 Posts: 776 Member
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    I switched to farmers market fruits and veggies about three months ago, organic when I can. The main difference is freshness. Grocery store fruits and veggies are usually picked before they are ripe, more likely than not, covered with wax to stop moisture loss, and sit in cold storage box cars and warehouses while in route from the country of origin, to the distribution point and the back of the store. Buying from CSA’s or farmers markets usually mean local, which helps your local economy, and probably picked that day or the day before.
  • kaweenf
    kaweenf Posts: 15 Member
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    I can't find the exact study that I originally saw citing mycoplasma, but here's one about E. coli and Salmonella occurrence in organic vs. conventional:

    http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iafp/jfp/2004/00000067/00000005/art00006

    There are other advantages to eating organic. It is more sustainable. The farming practices are better.

    In all actuality, if we were to grow all of our food organic, we would need something like 100x more farmland for it to be truly sustainable. So, bye bye rainforest.
  • kaweenf
    kaweenf Posts: 15 Member
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    Also, this article about the organic industry and why "organic" doesn't mean "local" :

    http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_42/b4005001.htm
  • rosied915
    rosied915 Posts: 799 Member
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    Can anyone explain to me how organic foods work, if they taste good, and if so what should I buy?

    I use some organic products and do not notice any difference. Believe it or not I'm not as concerned about veggies and fruits as I am about Milk, Eggs, Chicken~ products from animals that may have been given hormones or antibiotics.

    Just my opinion and oh yeah, local farm markets are the BEST!!
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
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    I can't find the exact study that I originally saw citing mycoplasma, but here's one about E. coli and Salmonella occurrence in organic vs. conventional:

    http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iafp/jfp/2004/00000067/00000005/art00006

    There are other advantages to eating organic. It is more sustainable. The farming practices are better.

    In all actuality, if we were to grow all of our food organic, we would need something like 100x more farmland for it to be truly sustainable. So, bye bye rainforest.

    Unfortunately it costs $37 to read that article. I have read from other sources that e.coli and salmonella do occur on organic produce, but it is much less common.

    As far as the rainforest remark, I have heard things like that before as well, but I never said *everything* should be grown organically. However, there is simply no need for the amount of chemicals being used now. It's mostly about greed.
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
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    Also, this article about the organic industry and why "organic" doesn't mean "local" :

    http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_42/b4005001.htm

    Research the sources of everything you buy, organic or not. I don't always, but I also don't labor under the assumption that organic means local. It does not.

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