Organic food Essay

We asked Food Scientists a simple question What foods do you avoid? Experts from different areas of specialty explain why they wont extinguish these eight foods. Food scientists are shedding light on items loaded with toxins and chemicalsand simple swaps for a cleaner diet and supersized health. Experts from different areas of specialty explain why they wont eat these eight foods. Clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables, and meats that are raised, grown, and sold with minimal processing. Often theyre constituent(a), and rarely (if ever) should they contain additives. only when in some cases, the methods of todays food producers are neither clean nor sustainable. The result is damage to our health, the environment, or both. So we decided to take a fresh look at food through the eyes of the people who spend their lives uncovering whats safeor nonto eat. Their answers dont necessarily make up a banned foods list. But reaching for the suggested alternatives might bring you bet ter healthand peace of mind. 1. The Endocrinologist Wont work through Canned Tomatoes Fredrick Vom Saal, is an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A.The problem The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a orotund characteristic of tomatoes) ca mathematical functions BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most peoples body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or inducts chromosomal damage to the nut of animals. You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and thats a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young, says vom Saal.I wont go near canned tomatoes. The solution Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak box es, likeTrader Joes and Pomi. Exposure to BPA Causes Permanent Damage In OffSpring 2. The Farmer Wont tucker Corn-Fed Beef Joel Salatin is co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable provokeing. The problem Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today fertilise their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter.But more money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less(prenominal) nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and grand lower in inflammatory omega-6s and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure, says Salatin .The solution barter for grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers markets, and nation whollyy at Whole Foods. Its usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you dont see it, ask your butcher. 3. The Toxicologist Wont run through Microwave Popcorn Olga Naidenko, is a elderly scientist for the Environmental Working Group. The problem Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer.Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporizeand migrate into your popcorn. They stay in your body for days and accumulate there, says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 201 5 below a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then. The solution Pop organic kernels the old-fashioned way in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.Make it organic and use coconut oil. If Youre Still Eating Microwave Popcorn, Youre Not Fully Grasping The Health Consequences 4. The Farm Director Wont Eat Nonorganic Potatoes Jeffrey Moyer is the chair of the National perfect Standards Board. The problem Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoesthe nations most ordinary vegetabletheyre hideed with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After theyre dug up, the potatoes are treated nevertheless again to prevent them from sprouting.Try this experiment Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It wont, says Moyer, who is also farm conductor of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc. , the publisher of Prevention). Ive talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals. The solution Buy organic potatoes. Washing isnt good enough if youre trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.Budget tip Organic potatoes are only $1 to $2 a pound, slightly more expensive than conventional spuds. 5. The Fisheries Expert Wont Eat Farmed Salmon Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany, published a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish. The problem Nature didnt intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, inclu ding carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT.According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. You could eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer, says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. Its that bad. Preliminary cognizance has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. there is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish.When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals. The solution Switch to fantastical-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, its farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon. Farmed Fish vs. Wild Fish How Healthy Is The Fish At Your Favorite Grocery? 6. The Cancer Researcher Wont D rink take out Produced With Artificial Hormones Rick North is project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the operating theater Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society.The problem Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to emanation milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract, says North.Theres not 100 percent proof that this is increasing cancer in humans, admits North. However, its banned in most industrialized countries. The solution Buy raw milk or check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced withou t artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products. Why Do Humans Still Drink Milk? 7. The Biotech medical specialist Who Wont Eat Conventional Soy GMO Unfermented Soy Michael Harris is biotech specialist who has directed several projects within the biotech sector including those for genetically engineered food.He has been a consultant, manager and director for companies such as Xenon Pharmaceuticals and Genon Corporation. The problem Genetically engineered food is a cause of great concern due to the manipulation of deoxyribonucleic acid and genetic code including transfers from one species to another. Fermented Soy Is The Only Soy Food Fit for Human Consumption and since almost 90% of soy in the worldly concern is genetically modified, if you are not ensuring sources are organic, long-term health problems are inevitable, especially since soy has been found to affect hormonal balance and even cause cancer.The solution Check labels to ensure soy is N on-GMO or organic and never consume unfermented sources. If possible contact the company to find out scarcely where the Non-GMO soy was obtained. 8. The Organic-Foods Expert Wont Eat Conventional Apples Mark Kastel, a former executive for agribusiness, is codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods. The problem If fall fruits held a most doused in pesticides contest, apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor.As such, apples dont develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that its just common sense to minimize film by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers, he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinsons d isease. The solutionBuy organic apples or apples from a farmer that you trust