Organic Food

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Does anyone buy organic food?

Which Organic Foods are Best and Worth the Extra Money - According to Consumer Reports
January 12th 2006

Which is worth it?
Nearly two thirds of all consumers bought organic foods in 2005, even though they cost more than non organic foods. According to Consumer Reports not all Organic food is worth the extra money. Some are though.

The report found that fish is not worth the extra money. In an interview on KABC TV in Los Angeles Tracy Evans of the Whole Foods Markets said eating organic food will lessen the toxins in your system. She may be right. In a study published back in September 2005, researchers found that kids that ate conventional foods had detectable amounts of pesticide in their urine.

The study can be found on the National Institutes of Health website. In the study researchers measured the dietary organophosphorus pesticide exposure in a group of 23 elementary school-age children through urinary biomonitoring.

The children were divided in to two groups. The study lasted for 15 days but after just 5 days there was a striking difference in pesticide levels. In fact the pesticides levels in the children that ate convention (non-organic) food was 6 to 9 times higher than in the children that ate organic food.

The question is what organic foods give you the best results for keeping pesticide levels low. According to Consumer Reports the most important foods to buy organic are apples, baby food, bell peppers, celery, cherries, dairy, eggs, imported grapes, meat, nectarines, peaches, pears, poultry, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries. The FDA found that these foods contained substantial amounts of pesticides even after washing.

The second category of foods that you should buy “if you have the money” include asparagus, avocados, bananas, bread, broccoli, cauliflower, cereals, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, oils, onions, papaya, pasta, pineapples, potato chips, and sweet peas. The pesticides levels can be reduced by washing these fruits and vegetables. You may also want to buy organic packaged products such as canned vegetables and dried fruit.
Seafood and Cosmetics are not worth the extra money according to the report. The USDA has not yet developed organic standards for seafood. In fact, California law prohibits organic labeling for fish until the certifications are determined.

It is most important for expectant mothers and young children to avoid consuming pesticides. This is because of the rapidly developing brain functions and internal organs, according to Mark Davis of the Organic Center.

Organic food is almost always more expensive then conventional foods. It may cost you 50 to 150 percent more for organic food. The production is more labor intensive and there are no government subsidies for organic growers. To get the best deals on organic food buy in bulk or buy generics or shop at farmers markets. Always watch for sales.

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Chocolate May Lower Risk of Death by Heart Disease - Dutch Study Suggests Cocoa can Lower Blood Pressure and Lead to Better Health

February 27th 2006


Unsweetened Dark Chocolate Best

Researchers from the Netherlands say that chocolate consumers were half as likely to die from cardiovascular problems as those who did not partake in the sweet products. The data was extrapolated from Zutphen Elderly Study conducted between 1985 and 2000.

Brian Bujisse of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven, measured the cocoa intake of 470 men between the ages of 65 and 84.

The researchers measured how many grams of cocoa each man consumed and divided the men into three groups according to their intake. ABC News reported that the men who ate the most cocoa products had half the “risk of death”. The experts have identified 24 cocoa-containing foods that the elderly men ate. None of the men were taking blood pressure medicine, according to a report in Scientific American.

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(Best Syndication) Researchers have determined how much dark chocolate needs to be consumed in order to lower blood pressure and not gain weight. Previous research has shown that eating high amounts of foods containing cocoa can lower blood pressure (BP), but the proper dosage was not determined.

Only 30 calories of dark chocolate per day is needed to see a blood pressure lowering benefit. This will not contribute to weight gain, according to Dirk Taubert, M.D., Ph.D., of University Hospital of Cologne, Germany. “Although the magnitude of the BP reduction was small, the effects are clinically noteworthy.”

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