Healthy Food & Healthy Living by Dr. Ayala

Yet another health advantage of organic food

Organic food used to be sold only in natural food stores and organic farms. Nowadays, you can find organic produce and products in most conventional grocery stores, and Organic is the fastest growing sector in the food industry in the US.

People prefer organic produce for its health benefits, for its environmental advantages and for perceived improved animal welfare standards.

Organic produce is selected for what it lacks. Since organic food is grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, it reduces our exposure to these chemicals. These chemicals cannot be completely washed off and end up in our food, and are absorbed by and present in our body. Conventional growers and food producers assure us that these chemicals are safe and harmless in small amounts, but common sense says that they add nothing good to our health and that we’re probably safer without them. Organic practices also prohibit the use of hormones, GMOs and the indiscriminate use antibiotics.

Organic farming is better for the environment. An organic farm doesn’t contribute to the growing problem of chemical fertilizer run-off contaminating rivers, lakes, oceans and drinking water, which affects wildlife as well as humans. An organic farm maintains soil fertility without using fossil fuels (fertilizers are fossil fuel products). An organic farm promotes biodiversity and uses less energy. Organic farm workers on  farms aren’t subjected to a work environment heavily contaminated by pesticides.

But is organic produce more nutritious?

Regarding the nutritional value of organic foods, previous research centered on nutrients: macronutrients, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals in organic vs. conventional. The main advantages of organic produce are in the content of antioxidants.

But another aspect of food, we’ve come to realize, is how it feeds and interacts with our microbiome, the society of microbial life within us, the trillions of microorganisms that coexist within us.

We used to think of bacteria in the context of pathogens – disease-causing germs. Most microorganisms are, however, not pathogens, and are either neutral or beneficial to our survival and wellbeing. Microbes help us digest food, synthesize B and K vitamins and short chain fatty acids, fight inflammation, regulate immunity and protect us from harmful bacteria. The study of the human microbiome is revealing a link between certain microbes and obesity, mood and many diseases.

How to promote a healthy microbiome? The general advice centers on eating good prebiotics: whole plant foods with plenty of fiber, avoiding unnecessary antibiotics and perhaps adding probiotics ­– fermented foods like yogurt, miso and pickles.

But the way plant food is grown may also make a difference.

Does organic food contain superior microbes?

Plants, just like us humans, are teeming with bacteria, fungi and viruses that support and interact with them – plants and their microorganisms are partners sharing a functioning home. Raw fruits and vegetables are a source of microbes for our own gut.

Since organic farming promotes biodiversity and biological cycles in soil, one could imagine that the microbial life of organic soil, and therefore in the plants growing in this soil, would be richer and more varied. Studies have shown that organic farming enhances total microbial abundance and activity and that the soil microbiome of organically grown grapevines is richer in species of microbial communities.

A new study in Frontiers in Microbiology compares the microbial life inside organic and conventional apples.

The researchers from Austria extracted microorganisms from every part of conventional and organically grown apples: from pulp, peel, seed and stem. Each average apple contains about 100 million bacteria according to this study.

And the way the apple was grown affected their microbial content significantly. Organic apples had greater diversity of bacteria in all parts of the apple, and the bacterial composition was distinct, with bacteria such as Escherichia-Shigella found only in conventional apples and Methylobacterium only in organic ones.

Microbiome research is a relatively new field, and we’re just beginning to understand how important gut microbes are to our overall health. What’s certain is that what we eat greatly influences our gut microbiome. Organic produce delivers products with fewer chemicals, preservatives, additives, antibiotics and hormones, and the environmental reasons to go organic are compelling. If there are microbiome health benefits this would be yet another added bonus.

Dr. Ayala

Is the Mediterranean diet eco friendly?

The Mediterranean diet is respected for its health benefits. Eating Mediterranean style is associated with lower incidence of chronic disease and obesity.

It’s appreciated also for its flavor and for its practicality: Cooking Mediterranean is relatively easy, and relies on good raw ingredients simply prepared, rather than on complicated or drawn-out techniques.

Good for heath, easy on the palate and practical to prepare, but in this day and age ecological consequences are also important. Food production at the massive scale needed to supply the human population is a huge burden on the environment. Food production is a leading cause of deforestation, water pollution and loss of biodiversity. Food production uses lots of water, and generates greenhouse gases ­– about one third of global greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, much of it from livestock.

A new study in Public Health Nutrition evaluated the Mediterranean diet’s environmental impact.

The study involved some 20,000 Spanish participants, who reported on their food intake. The foods consumed were categorized on a sliding scale as adhering more or less to a Mediterranean diet pattern. A Mediterranean diet typically emphasizes vegetables, grains, (mostly whole/unrefined) legumes, nuts and olive oil. Fish and dairy products are eaten in moderation, as are meat and meat products; some wine is typically enjoyed. The impact of each food item on water, land and energy consumption and on greenhouse gas emission was assessed.

The researchers found that the better the adherence to the Mediterranean diet, the lower the environmental cost – natural resource use and emissions went down with Mediterranean adherence. Meat – especially beef meat – eggs, and dairy consumption had the highest detrimental impact on the environment. The results are quite impressive: Water requirements for food production for a person adhering to a Mediterranean diet is 60 percent less than what it is for someone who doesn’t, land use is 70 percent less, you need 90 percent less energy, and Mediterranean style diets produce 70 percent less greenhouse gasses.

The researchers, led by Ujué Fresán conclude:“As diet influences positively not only our health but also the environment, a nutritionist giving dietary advice may take the environmental impact of diet into account, and enhanced adherence to a MedDiet is likely to be an important target to be fostered in our society.”

Do people care about food’s sustainability and environmental impact? 

When people make their food choices they consider convenience, cost, taste, health, and availability; but do they care about sustainability and environmental impact?

“The environmental costs tend to be a tertiary discussion for most and fall well behind, ‘How do I lose weight and get off my meds?’” says Nutrition, Health & Wellness coach Scott Putnam. “People are first looking for ways to feel better and drop weight, but then get excited to learn that by eating more plant-foods, they're not only helping themselves, they are doing their part to save animal lives and the planet. It's really a Win-Win-Win situation!”

Likewise, when people first seek organic foods their primary motivation is personal avoidance of pesticides and chemicals, but choosing organic for selfish reasons evolves into an environmental commitment. “There are fruits and vegetables for which choosing organic doesn't necessarily reduce exposure to pesticides much, because the chemicals remain in the peel and do not penetrate the edible part.  So, although choosing organic may not necessarily benefit my family's potential exposure directly, I may still choose organic because I know that this choice may support organic farmers and their surrounding communities,” notes Dr. Luz Claudio, professor of environmental medicine and public health at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. 

That’s why it’s important to find an eating pattern in which health, taste, practicality and sustainability are aligned, and the Mediterranean diet is a worthy candidate.

That olive oil as the main source of fat in the Mediterranean diet also avoids another ecologic pitfall: "A personal soapbox of mine is palm oil," notes Registered Dietician Nichole Dandrea. “The palm oil industry is linked to major environmental issues such as deforestation, habitat degradation, climate change, animal cruelty and indigenous peoples rights abuses. The World Wildlife Fund states that rainforest areas equivalent to 300 football fields are cleared every hour to make way for the palm oil industry.” She encourages avoiding palm oil unless it's Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO).

We can all take steps towards greater sustainability by eating more plants and less meat (this is the single most impactful decision), eating less processed foods, choosing organic when possible, preferring produce that's locally grown and in season, and avoiding waste.

Even the smallest steps count in a world with more than seven and a half billion people making food choices.

Dr. Ayala

Some good news about organic food

Fall is here, the time to celebrate the harvest.

And a good occasion to look at what’s new in organic food. Here are a few fresh reasons to be optimistic.

Does organic food promote health?

The European Parliament commissioned a group of experts to review the health advantages of organic food and farming, and the report was published earlier this year.

One of the main takeaways concerns pesticides.

Organic farming restricts the use of pesticides and relies on prevention for plant protection. Eating organic foods lowers the risk of exposure to pesticides and herbicides. Are the low levels of pesticides in conventional foods harmful? Several studies reviewed in this report have shown that exposure to these chemicals during pregnancy was associated with harm to kids’ intelligence quotient (IQ) and development. The report therefore concludes that organic food is especially beneficial for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Another finding is that kids on a biodynamic diet had lower rates of allergic complaints. It is hard to definitely attribute the better health of these kids to organic food, as there might be other healthy habits contributing to their healthier disposition.

And then there are the antibiotics. Organic practices restrict those, and result in agriculture, land and water, that’s lower in both antibiotics and heavy metals, such as cadmium. Overuse of antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistance; organic practices mitigate this public health problem.

The report concludes that there are proven benefits to organic practices, and suggests several policies that could help spread the use of organic farming and foods.

There was lots of media hype around studies that looked at nutrient levels in organic vs. conventional produce. Regarding nutrients, the jury’s still out, and the difference might not be significant enough to matter much. Some studies showed higher antioxidant levels in organics, other showed lower levels of iodine in them.

Regardless, the important issues listed above – pesticides, antibiotics and heavy metals – are reason enough in my opinion to conclude that organic food is healthier for its consumers. And it’s definitely better for the environment, for farmers, and for all other living creatures downstream.

Organic farming is growing in the US

A recent report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) showed that sales of organic produce were up 23 percent in 2016.

The number of certified organic farms in the country increased 11 percent last year, and the number of certified acres increased 15 percent, to 5 million.

California leads in organic food sales, but my home state of Pennsylvania is in second place!

Young people believe in organic

Organic food adoption is up overall, rising about 10 percent each year, but its popularity is especially prominent among young adults. In a recent Pew research poll 61 percent of under 30-year-olds said that organic is better than conventionally grown food; it was almost that high (57 percent) for people aged 30-49 years.

Among adults younger than 50 years, 71 percent bought organic foods at least once in the past month, and about 40 percent of all US age groups say that most or some of what they eat is organic. 

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All these are reasons to cheer, but a note of caution: Organic food is still just a tiny sliver of overall farming and produce.

But by supporting organic and clean eating with our purchases we, each of us, are backing the movement. We’re voting for the health of our planet with our wallets.

Dr. Ayala

Pediatricians advise on organic food

Do you consult your pediatrician about food? Nutrition evaluation is part of what doctors are supposed to cover in well-child visits, and I’m sure many pediatricians are asked for advice concerning food choices in general, and organic foods in particular.

To that end, the American Academy of Pediatrics gathered the relevant research comparing organic foods to conventionally produced ones, and prepared a report that’s published in the November issue of Pediatrics. There’s no new research here; the report analyses existing studies (many of which have been widely reported), weighs the evidence, and concludes with some advice.

I was glad to see that this report included environmental impacts in its analysis. Not only are environmental issues important in and of themselves, but also we’re kidding ourselves if we think that impacts on the environment will not end up affecting our health. There might be a long delay in that effect, but no insult on the environment goes scot-free.

Here’s what the report finds:

Organic food exposes eaters to fewer pesticides

There’s no doubt that pesticides are toxic. Acute poisoning from pesticides is reported among farm workers regularly, and several studies have shown that chronic exposure to pesticides is associated with health problems, such as breathing problems, skin disorders, neurologic deficits and cancer.

Kids who don’t work on a farm are exposed to pesticides mainly through their food. Organic food has consistently been shown to have fewer pesticides and to reduce exposure. The report cites a study that looked at kids that ate conventional produce, and showed that just 5 days on an organic diet reduced their urinary levels of pesticides to undetectable.

The report also informs that washing reduces some pesticides, but isn’t proven to decrease human exposure. 

But can we undeniably prove that exposure to pesticides in small amounts is harmful? We can’t, and we definitely can’t prove it’s safe; I doubt excellent large prospective studies putting kids on a pesticide residue diet and a pesticide-free one will ever be performed.

Nutritional differences seem minimal

The report finds flaws in many of the studies comparing the nutrient content of conventional and organic produce, and declares the results conflicting. It concludes that although studies show more vitamin C and phosphorus in organic food, for now: “there does not appear to be convincing evidence of a substantial difference in nutritional quality of organic versus conventional produce.”

Meat

Conventional growers feed animals routinely with antibiotics. Of all antibiotics used in the US 40-80 percent goes in animal feed, and animal and human antibiotics are pretty much the same. This leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria spread through people and food, which the report sees as a reason to prefer organic.

Milk

The report surprised many by declaring that they find no clinical difference between organic and conventional milk. Conventionaly raised cows are supplemented with growth hormones and estrogen, but the Academy claims the former breaks down and isn’t active, and the latter’s quantities are too small to matter.

Environmental impact

The report states that:

“Many believe that organic farming is less damaging to the environment because organic farms do not use or release synthetic pesticides into the environment, some of which have the potential to harm soil, water, and local terrestrial and aquatic wildlife.

In addition, it is thought that organic farms are better than conventional farms at sustaining diverse ecosystems, including populations of plants, insects, and animals, because of practices such as crop rotation.

When calculated either per unit area or per unit of yield, organic farms use less energy and produce less waste.

Organically managed soil has been demonstrated to be of higher quality and have higher water retention, which may increase yields for organic farms in drought years.”

What’s a parent to do?

The report is aimed for pediatricians, so it’s a little technical, but if you care to read through the sections describing the use of growth hormones and sex steroids in conventional agriculture you’ll be introduced to some of the common practices of conventional animal treatment. For example, animals are treated with a range of growth hormones and sex steroids (injected as estrogen pellets under the skin) to increase yields. The report reassures us through studies that the hormone levels found in our food are low, or irrelevant, but I doubt you’ll find it a reassuring read. 

The report suggests pediatricians emphasize the importance of eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and respond to the question of “should we go organic” with the facts presented by the report, and admit that in some areas evidence is lacking.

So this is the American Academy of Pediatrics’ advice. What’s yours?

Dr. Ayala

 

Is organic food healthier? New study fuels the debate

What makes a food healthy? The definition of healthy food and nutritious food is absolutely essential in order to answer the question: “is organic food healthier”.

But a new widely publicized study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine this week answers this question without digging deeper into what defines “healthy”. The study reviewed research comparing organic and conventional foods and concluded that there’s “limited evidence for the superiority of organic foods”.

Let’s see what the study actually found. 

Fewer pesticides, more phenols, no more vitamins

The researchers, led by Dena Bravata and Crystal Smith-Spangler identified 237 of the most relevant organic vs. conventional studies. Those included 17 studies (six of which were randomized clinical trials) of humans consuming organic and conventional diets, and 223 studies that compared either the nutrient levels or the bacterial, fungal or pesticide contamination of various products including fruits, veggies, grains, meats, milk, poultry, and eggs grown organically and conventionally. There were no long-term studies of health outcomes of people consuming organic vs. conventionally produced food – these would be difficult and expensive to do, and have not yet been attempted.

There were two types of nutrients organic food had statistically higher levels of: total phenols in organic produce, and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids in organic milk.

As expected, organic food had fewer pesticide contaminants: conventional produce has a 30% higher risk for pesticide contamination than organic produce. Another study found kids switched to an organic diet for 5 days had significantly lower levels of pesticide residue in their urine.

As for vitamins, overall there wasn’t a significant difference in the vitamin content of organic and conventional plant or animal products.

There was no difference in the risk for contamination of produce or animal products with pathogenic bacteria (yes, organic produce does need to be washed!), but conventional chicken and pork had a higher risk for contamination with bacteria resistant to antibiotics than were organic alternatives.

Obsessed with vitamins 

So is the meta-analysis’ conclusion that organic has little health benefit correct? 

If eating healthy is about getting as much vitamins as possible I guess you can conclude just that. But if eating healthy is about maxing on vitamins your route to health can easily be a vitamin supplement with a fast food meal (an abundant source of protein!). 

Our obsession with vitamins has been fueled for years by nutritionists and marketers. But getting enough vitamins is hardly a central health issue in modern societies. Eating healthy isn’t about getting your vitamins.  Even devoted junk eaters gets plenty of vitamin C and don’t need a vitamin boosted organic strawberry to save them from scurvy. 

What is healthy eating? This is a complicated question. It’s hard enough to even define health; is health the absence of detectable disease, or a state of physical, mental, and social wellbeing? I can’t really answer this question (especially not in a blog post), but healthy food has to be more than the sum of all its vitamins.

Why organic

More and more people are choosing organic. One popular reason is avoidance of chemicals. Conventional food is grown using a multitude of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. We now know that these remain in the food, and are absorbed by and present in our body. Although conventional growers and food producers make every effort to convince us that these chemicals are safe and harmless in these amounts, common sense says that they definitely add nothing good to our health, and we’re probably better off without them. This study shows that organic food does have fewer pesticide residues and fewer antibiotic-resistant bacteria -- organic delivers on its promise!

But organic farming is about so much more than our personal health and safety. Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that has deep environmental implications. Organic production is about respecting the land and all its inhabitants. 

An organic farm doesn’t contribute to the growing problem of chemical fertilizers’ run-off contaminating our rivers, lakes, oceans and drinking water. This contamination is persistent, and affects us as well as wildlife.

An organic farm doesn’t contribute to our worrying dependence on dwindling oil supplies (fertilizers are fossil fuel products). Farm workers on organic farms aren’t subjected to a work environment heavily contaminated by pesticides. Soil fertility is maintained for future generations by organic practices. An organic farm recycles its waste, and doesn’t fill landfills with hazardous waste.

An organic farm promotes biodiversity. Organic practices lead to crops that are more resistant to drought and pests, and probably are more complex in phytochemical composition. (Phytochemicals are chemical compounds derived from plants and fruits; there is evidence from epidemiological studies that phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of disease. This is one of the findings this study demonstrated by the higher level of phenols in organic produce). 

And the list goes on and on.

Organic food delivers products with fewer chemicals, preservatives, additives, antibiotics and hormones, and the environmental reasons to go organic are compelling. I doubt informed buyers opt for organic strawberries for their superior vitamin C level anyway.

Dr. Ayala

Full disclosure: I’m vice president of product development for Herbal Water, where we make organic herb-infused waters that have zero calories and no sugar or artificial ingredients. I’m also a pediatrician, an early adopter of organic practices and foods, and have been promoting good nutrition and healthy lifestyle for many years.

What can the census report tell us about the American diet?

The census bureau recently published the official count of people living in the US — there are more than 308 million of us. But the bureau does much more than tally people — it also gathers lots of interesting information about Americans and the American economy, and this treasure trove is available in the 2011 statistical abstract. The New York Times had a fun visual portrait of America by the numbers last weekend, which inspired me to take a look at the data, while concentrating on food and nutrition. The census data provides an interesting snapshot of our changing food habits, and since the data covers several decades, it’s interesting to see whether it sheds some light on why obesity became so prevalent over the past 30 years.

Before you get all paranoid, let me emphasize that the government doesn’t know what you’re eating: The consumption information is estimated and computed dividing food availability (which is how much food is there after subtracting exports, residual stocks and non-food use) by the resident population. We don’t know if the food ends up wasted, or fed to the family dog, but the trends over time are quite telling.

Our collective food pantry: Food trends by category

Animal products:
Red meat consumption went down by about 14 percent from 1980 to 2008, but that still leaves 5 servings of red meat a day for each of us. At the same time poultry went up 80 percent.

Dairy products consumption also went up in the same time period, but the interesting information lies in the details: While beverage milks have gone down by 25 percent, cheese consumption went way up in the past 3 decades, from 17.5 pounds/person/year to 32.4, a rise of 85 percent! And I’m sure you’ve noticed the proliferation in the yogurt isle — yogurt has become a major seller, and we’re consuming 370 percent more of it than we did in 1980.

Fats:
We’re eating more fats and oils. In fact, our total fat consumption went up 50 percent from 1980 to 2008.

Flour and cereal products:
There’s been a significant per capita increase in grain consumption, from 150 pounds/person/year in 1980 to 197 pounds/person/year in 2008, which amounts to a 36 percent increase, but the most dramatic increase is in corn products intake — consumption rose by more than 156 percent in that time period!

Sugars:
Caloric sweetener consumption rose by about 13 percent in the past 3 decades. While refined cane and beet sugar actually declined, high fructose corn syrup intake went up 180 percent!

Fruits and veggies:
Fruit consumption is down by 15 pounds/person/year (5 percent) since 1980, and down 36 pounds/person/year (12 percent) since 2000 (fruit consumption went up in the 90’s, and then sank to new lower levels). Veggies fared no better: Total veggie intake is down 33 pounds (8 percent) since 2000.

Total calories:
The total calories available per person in the US rose from 3200 per day in 1980 to 3900 in the 2000s.

We’re eating more, and of the wrong foods

The census data provide further support to what we already know from scientific studies which rely on diet records: Overall, we’re eating more, and of all the wrong things. Although it seems we’ve been somewhat responsive to the advice to cut some red meat, we’ve replaced red meat by other sources of animal products, mainly cheese. We’re eating lots more fat, lots more sugar (mostly corn based sugars—because they’re cheap) and lots more refined grain products, many of them made of corn. Our appetite for fruits and veggies – the low-calorie food group we’ve never come close to meeting the daily recommendation for – has diminished further.

Farm policies explain much of these trends. Our farmers are encouraged financially to produce commodity grains and animal products, while fruits and veggies aren’t subsidized.

I have to end on a few positive notes: Smoking continues to decline, it’s down by 3 percent from 2000 to 2008, clearly not good enough, but the direction is positive; and organic farming boomed — total organic certified farmland grew by 170 percent, and we have added 550 percent more organic milk cows during those recent eight years.

Can you guess which vegetable we consume the most of?

Dr. Ayala

Reposted as part of Food Renegate's Fight Back Fridays--go join the food fight!

Celebrating Summer's Produce: Zucchini, Potato and Fresh Herbs Gratin

This week (August 1st through 7th) is National Farmers Market Week, a great time to celebrate our farmers and great produce. I'm reposting this flavorful recipe, which uses summer's best: Lovely zucchini, new potatoes, complex fresh herbs, and makes for a nice presentation in no time.

As you’ll see, this dish relies on fresh herbs for its explosion of flavor. The fresh herbs also pack lots of nutrition—they’re a powerhouse of phytochemicals and antioxidants, and a great addition to your healthy diet.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 zucchini, peeled (if very fresh no need to peel) and cut to ¼-inch slices

• 8-10 small potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced (can be done with a mandoline or food processor)

• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

For the sauce:

• 1 cup of mixed fresh herbs—tarragon, parsley, chives, oregano, thyme and basil are good options; be creative, but use more of the mild herbs, and less of the more potent oregano and thyme.

• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic

• A pinch of hot pepper flakes

• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

• Prepare the sauce. If you have a food processor, pulse all ingredients to a course grind. Otherwise, chip all dry ingredients as finely as you can, and mix with the olive oil and spices.

• Mix all ingredients, taste the zucchini and correct the seasoning.

• Brush some olive oil on an oven-safe baking or gratin dish, and transfer the zucchini potato mix.

• Transfer to the oven, and bake for 60-80 minutes, until potatoes are well-softened. If the top darkens too much, and the potatoes aren’t yet soft, cover with tin foil and bake some more.

Serve immediately (will serve 8-10 diners as a side dish).

Happy National Farmers Market Week!

Dr. Ayala

Organic is healthier…but you can still get fat

We like to eat. We especially like indulgent foods – desserts, snacks and tasty treats.

We’d love to believe it’s okay to heap our plates with foods we perceive as “healthy".

In fact, studies have shown time and again that foods perceived as healthy or foods with a health aura drive us — if only subconsciously — to eat more. Foods with "low fat" or "low calorie" claims lead to overconsumption of snacks. A study using hidden cameras at Italian restaurants showed that people dipping their bread in olive oil will eat more fat and calories than if they instead spread some butter.

Organic food labels can lead to overeating, too. In presenting findings from their new study, Jenny Wan-Chen Lee and Brian Wansink showed that the organic seal appears to make people believe their organic snacks have a lot fewer calories than they do. For example, people who ate cookies labeled as "organic" believed that their snack contained 40% fewer calories than the same cookies that had no label.

Now, I’m a huge proponent and an early adopter of organic produce, but the organic seal, of course, has absolutely nothing to do with calories.

The benefits of organic food

The organic seal promises that the food and its ingredients have been farmed according to the organic standards — which are better for you and for the environment.

Organic practices are about sustainability, how we grow food, and how we treat our environment. These practices also tie to our personal health, given that the multitude of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides used to produce conventional food actually remain in the food. While it’s hard to prove that any single one of them, in small amounts, causes disease, it’s impossible to prove that they don’t; personally I’d rather minimize exposure to what’s clearly not meant for human consumption (read more about why organic matters in my post here).

The jury’s still out on whether organic produce has more measureable nutrients than conventionally-grown produce.

What organic food isn’t

Organic produce isn’t necessarily clean. All too often I see people skipping the washing of organic produce, forgetting that it comes from a field, and has been handled by many hands. Organic produce does need to be washed — thoroughly. While organic food isn't sprayed with chemicals, microbial life is teeming on and between the leaves. Wildlife visits the fields and can contaminate produce in any number of ways we don’t like to consider when we think of food. There’s also the bacterial mixture from a multitude of human hands that have touched your produce before it gets to your table.

Organic food isn’t automatically healthy, or something we should necessarily consume in large quantities. Organic candy, organic soda or organic French fries — while a tiny bit better for us because they’re free of pesticides — are still junk food, and should be eaten infrequently.

Bottom line

People are generally an optimistic and trusting bunch, and the temptation to believe what we want to be true sometimes overcomes lessons we’ve been taught about the prudency of healthy skepticism.

If you want to have a clearer idea of what you’re eating, just read the ingredient list and nutrition facts, regardless of the atmosphere created — or the claims-to-health — on the front of the package.

Read the labels on organic foods as carefully as you’d read any other food label. If the food is full of sugars, fats, salt or calories, it should be viewed as a dessert, and should be eaten in moderation.

Dr. Ayala

Reposted as part of Food Renegate's Fight Back Fridays--go join the food fight!

Is Organic Food Healthier?

I support the organic movement and started buying organic food as soon as organic alternatives were available to me. I will gladly pay more for an organically produced food item.

As I studied the subject more carefully, I became more and more convinced that eating and buying organic isn’t just about maintaining your own health; it’s about political change and doing something for the greater good.

I think that the first, selfish motivation is quite clear. Conventional food is grown using a multitude of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. We now know that these remain in the food, and are absorbed by and present in our body. Although conventional growers and food producers make every effort to convince us that these chemicals are safe and harmless in these amounts, common sense says that they definitely add nothing good to our health, and we’re probably better off without them.

Personally, I don’t want to be part of this experiment. We live in an environment that has hundreds of new, man-made chemicals. It will be very hard to prove that any single one of them is a direct cause of disease, as they probably do not have very high toxicity, but overall, this experiment is not going well so far. Despite major advancements in medical care, the rates of many chronic diseases are on the rise, and there is some concern that chronic, repeated chemical exposure contributes to that. While it’s impossible to avoid exposure altogether, I think that directly ingesting contaminants on a regular basis isn’t a good idea.

Organic farming practices

In order to look at the bigger picture of what “choosing organic” means, we have to understand organic practices. The certified organic label on a food means that the producers of the food followed several rules:

• They do not use synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers to grow crops.

• They do not fertilize with sewage sludge.

• Food is not irradiated or genetically modified.

• Organic farmers are required by the National Organic Standards to minimize soil erosion.

• Soil fertility is maintained through practices such as crop rotation, cover crops, and use of composted material (which is basically recycling farm waste into soil nutrients).

• Animals cannot be fed the byproducts of other animals.

• Animals are given access to the outdoors and treated humanely (I read several reports that make me believe that the humane treatment of animals is an aspect that needs more attention).

We can easily see how important these practices are to the environment:

• An organic farm doesn’t contribute to the growing problem of chemical fertilizers’ run-off contaminating our rivers, lakes, oceans and drinking water. This contamination is persistent, and affects us -- as well as wildlife.

• An organic farm doesn’t contribute to our worrying dependence on foreign dwindling oil supplies (fertilizers are fossil fuel products).

• Farm workers on organic farms aren’t subjected to a work environment heavily contaminated by pesticides.

• Soil fertility is maintained for future generations.

• An organic farm recycles its waste, and doesn’t fill landfills with hazardous waste.

• An organic farm promotes biodiversity.

• Organic practices lead to crops that are more resistant to drought and pests, and probably are more complex in phytochemical composition. (Phytochemicals are chemical compounds derived from plants and fruits; there is evidence from epidemiological studies that phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of disease.)

And as defined by the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB):

"Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.”

What does the organic seal mean?

The organic seal was introduced in 2002, and assures that products labeled as organic meet stringent standards established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Under the USDA regulations, In order for a product to be labeled as “organic” and gain the organic seal it must contain a minimum of 95% organic ingredients.

The certification is a very arduous process.

Growers seeking certification have to study the organic standards. Farm facilities and production methods must comply with the standards. Extensive paperwork must document farm history and current practices, and usually must include results of soil and water tests. A written annual production plan must be submitted, detailing every aspect of farming: Seed sources, field and crop locations, fertilization and pest control activities, harvest methods, storage locations, etc.

Annual on-farm inspections are part of the certification process, with a physical tour, examination of records, and an oral interview. Also, short-notice or surprise inspections can be made, and specific tests (e.g., soil, water, plant tissue) may be requested. For first-time farm certification, the soil must meet basic requirements of being free from use of prohibited substances (synthetic chemicals, etc.) for three years.

Certification for food producers is similar. Every aspect of the production, including ingredients, transport, processing and packaging are examined and need to adhere to strict standards.

The organic seal is earned with a lot of effort. The certifiers take their job very seriously, and for that, they have gained the public’s trust. Our product, Herbal Water, recently earned the organic seal. The long process made me even more respectful of the certifying agencies and the seal.


Do our choices matter?

By choosing organic food, consumers send the message to food growers and manufacturers that organic practices are important. The growth of the organic segment has been so dramatic because more and more people are demanding these products. And whether producers sign on to organic practices for ideological or financial and marketing reasons, the result is the same -- less degradation to our environment and a healthier planet.

So, yes, our choices matter a great deal.

If organic produce seems expensive, bear in mind that conventional foods have many hidden costs; the expenses associated with personal health and environmental degradation, for example, just weren't factored in when you bought them. We (and our children) will pay those costs later. With the prices of fossil fuels rising, we’ll also see conventional crops costing more (remember, conventional foods use fertilizers that are made from fossil fuels).

When you consider all the issues from a broad perspective, non-organic food is really just too expensive to even consider.

Dr. Ayala