Organic food information

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

I'm not sure about all of you. However, my doctor recommends

anyone with fibromyalgia try to eat as much organic food as

possible. Since people with Fibromyalgia cannot properly absorb

nutrients and get rid of toxins we can get extra nutrients without

toxins in organic food. It is more expensive so I do it with some

things and not with others. However, I found this article actually

saying that they can now prove that they have 50% at least more

nutrients in organic food. Thought you might find it all

interesting. The article does not particularly relate to

fibromyalgia, but eating organic is healthier for us if we can

afford to do so. Hope you all have a great day!

NC

ARTICLE

It seems like every day someone emails me another news story about

the hidden dangers of plastic.

I usually stop whatever I'm doing to read it, more convinced with

every each new study and infertile rat that we're doomed to

extinction by plastic. When I'm done I usually look up to find my

one year-old daughter trying to stuff something plastic into her

mouth, despite the variety of brightly colored non-toxic wood toys

lying around her on the floor.

So I was happy to read something good this morning about something

that plays a big part in my life —they've proven that organic milk

is better for you! All the money I've been spending on the stuff —

and it's up to $15 dollars a day because I'm pregnant and it really

helps my heartburn — is worth it. The same goes for organic food.

For the past seven years, the organic food lobby in England has been

trying to get the Food StandardsAgency (FSA) to change their claim

that organic food isn't safer or healthier. And now, after a 4-year,

12million pound, European Union-funded investigation led by

Newcastle University that shows organic foods have far more

nutritional value, they may soon get their way. The study isn't over

yet and the results will be published over the next year, but the

hope is that the FSA will change its claim that " the balance of

current scientific evidence does not support " the idea that organic

food is more nutritious than conventional.

The Quality Low Input Food project, the biggest of its kind, took a

725-acre farm in north-east England, grew conventional produce (like

cabbage, lettuce, potatoes and what) next to organic produce, and

compared the results.

The biggest contrast was found for milk. The study found that levels

of antioxidants in milk from organic cattle were between 50% and 80%

higher than conventional milk (60% to 80% more nutrients in the

summer than conventional milk, and 50% to 60% more in the winter).

Organic milk also has higher levels of vitamin E, and 60 percent

more antioxidants and desirable fatty acids. Antioxidants help with

a healthy circulatory system and help keep cancer and heart disease

away.

Other highlights:

Fruit and vegetables contain up to 40% more nutrients if they are

grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Up to 40% more antioxidants could be found in organic fruit and

vegetables than in those conventionally farmed.

Potatoes, kiwi fruit and carrots were among the organic produce

found to be higher in vitamin C.

Higher levels of minerals and antioxidants were found in organically-

farmed lettuce, spinach and cabbage. Organic spinach and cabbage

have more minerals.

Organic produce also had higher levels of iron and zinc, vital

nutrients lacking in many people's diets.

Organic cheese can have up to twice as many nutrients than

conventional varieties.

Organic tomatoes, wheat, potatoes, cabbage, onions and wheat have 20

to 40 per cent more antioxidants than conventional fruit and

vegetables.

Deirdre Dolan and andra Zissu are the authors of The Complete

Organic Pregnancy. They write the Ask an Organic Mom blog for The

Daily Green.com, where they answer your questions about how to raise

a toxin-free baby.