Organic vs. Non-organic Food, and Other Links
Study: Organic food no healthier than non-organic.
Kevin Drum likes ObamaCare because it will allow him to retire early. That’s good for him, but why is it good for the rest of us who will have to subsidize his choice?
Fat, but OK: There is a subset of obese people who are metabolically healthy.
In response to the first link, of course! It may be better to keep pesticides and such away from your food, but growing something “organically” doesn’t magically increase its nutritional value. The idea that such a thing even occured to people is scary; it shows we need to invest more in science education.
Stanford University came out with a study on Tuesday that compares the nutrients and antibiotic difference between conventional and organic veggies. Before that the British Food Journal produced many similar studies. The fault of each of these studies is the lack of environmental variables such as soil, climate, crop variety, degree of ripeness when each legume was picked. At the end of the day a tomato is still a tomato; the nutrient value is not going to change due to using chlorinated hydrocarbon based pesticides or manure. The toxic level of chemicals or bacteria from non-treated manure may affect your health.
The whole point of using organic vegetables is to use a sustainable agricultural technique that cuts back on genetic altered plants, fuel cost, and soil contamination. Organic farms are not as practical as larger conventional farmers with population increases and geographic al factors to certain areas. Organic farms take up a little more land use and manual labor, but the ecological minded are willing to support a sustainable agricultural industry.
Since 1997 to last year, the United States has seen a sky rocketing climb in organic food sells from a 3.6 billion industry to a dazzling 24.4 billion. Organic farming is not a new method of farming by any means, but the organic food trend has become a movement of a healthier lifestyle for many Americans. With the rise of obesity and diabetes among society, most feel a need to spend an extra quarter on vegetables that are grown in a more natural environment rather than a chemically processed alternative.
I’ve suspected this was the case for most foods. Unfortunately, my family demands organic vegetables (and meats when possible), which means I have to shop at the most expensive store in town and pay for the most expensive produce it sells.
Kevin Drum likes ObamaCare because it will allow him to retire early. That’s good for him, but why is it good for the rest of us who will have to subsidize his choice?
That’s the big question? Why should younger people subsidize the higher medical costs of older people? If you want to retire early — then do so if you feel you can afford to. But don’t ask me to help you pay for health insurance you cannot afford.
Grow your own veggies, and food in general, and you will be better off.
From the New York Times: Advocates of organic foods, meanwhile, say that the study takes a narrow view of organic food choices, and that most people choose organic because they want to avoid pesticides, hormones and other chemicals used in conventional farming.
I think that’s really the primary reason people buy organic vegetables. This is probably true especially if you are using a juicer, which concentrates the fluids from more vegetables than you would ordinarily eat.
Fat, but OK: There is a subset of obese people who are metabolically healthy.
Very educating post on obesity. I can definitely say that it’s changed my perception on it and how I always assumed slimmer people were always healthier than fat people.
The following paragrapgh in this study really caught my eye:
“We found that patients who were underweight with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5 kg/m2 had the greatest risk of dying. Their risk was double that of normal weight patients, who had a BMI of between 21 and 23.5 kg/m2. Compared to the group with lowest risk – those with a BMI of 26.5 to 28 kg/m2, they had three times the risk of death.”
I guess being skinny after all doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good thing.
So could it be that metabolically unhealthy obese people would have higher death rates even if they had normal weight?
I’ve never been a fan of the high prices for organic food. I also cant tell a difference in taste. But I might not have a highly developed pallet.
The article is promoting better methods for healthcare. I hope that our doctors/patients look at this and provide/demand better care.
“Physician should take into consideration that not all obese people have the same prognosis. Physician could assess fitness, fatness and metabolic markers to do a better estimation of the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer of obese patients. Our data support the idea that interventions might be more urgently needed in metabolically unhealthy and unfit obese people, since they are at a higher risk. This research highlights once again the important role of physical fitness as a health marker.”
While the nutrient count of many organic vs non-organic products does not vary much, there is a certain “dirty dozen” where it actually pays to buy organic:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/eco-nomics/2012/06/20/the-dirty-dozen-eco-group-reveals-lists-of-pesticide-heavy-fruits-and-veggies/
Additionally, there are certain fruits that I prefer organic or fresh from farmer’s markets. I just think they taste better!