Organic Food

Staying Healthy With Organic Food

One of the most important aspects of staying healthy is with the food that we eat. The food that we eat at each mealtime, or snack time determines the kind of nutrients that we would be getting. The certain amounts of these nutrients also matter as any excessive or insufficiency may lead to complications and eventually illness on the individual. Staying healthy with organic food has been frowned upon by a majority of the society as fast foods and processed food products are made available in the groceries and supermarkets. These processed foods are advertised with as much flavorings as budget to keep them in the diet of the people.

Organic food has been known to be superior in beneficial outcomes to the body than their artificial and processed counterparts. Better Bowel Movement

Organic food, which usually come in the form of fresh vegetable and fruit produce, and organically fed animals contribute to a higher stability in bowel movement. For one, the fiber content of these fresh produce are still intact and almost undamaged. This high fiber content or quality is able to absorb the fluids in the intestines and form a solid fecal mass, good for excretion. Think if these fibers as a broom passed through our intestines. The higher quality of the bristles, the better efficiency there is in sweeping away old fecal deposits in the intestinal tract. This therefore allows better nutrient absorption on succeeding nutrient passes.

It Reduces Health Risks

With artificially prepared market produce such as vegetables, fruits, and meat, the individual ingesting them are subject to all the pesticides and artificial drug enhancers that were used. Some of these harmful chemicals embed in the produce and may not be properly cleansed until cooking.

Organically prepared meat and produce are grown without the chemicals, pesticides and the like which would have been created to kill pests thereby reducing the risk of unwanted illness. Common illnesses that occur with chemicals accidentally ingested are related to the gastrointestinal tract.

Contains Higher Nutrient Levels

Organic foods retain the natural amount of nutritive value that they should ideally be containing. As opposed to artificially processed foods, these organic foods have not yet been subjected to the different processing methods which transform the original food product into several forms. Changing its structure, and applying heat to these organic foods, as well as with simple slicing, would cause a part of the nutrient value to disintegrate and be lost in the whole process.

The biggest culprit in this manner is canned goods which have passed through countless processing bins, and artificial flavorings to produce the replica of a supposed food product. Furthermore, the main harmful ingredient of canned goods is preservatives. Simply put, preservatives are chemical agents used to lessen the normal process of deterioration of all organic products.

Better Environment

With the method of growing for organic food products, the environment is saved from chemical alteration by the chemicals and pesticides that should have been otherwise used. Ecological balance is helped maintained in this method and would result to a better living environment of the individual as well.

Patronizing the idea of staying healthy with organic food is a good way to maximize nutritive efficiency in a person’s body system and out of a person by the environment and its contribution to the individual’s well being.

USDA Organic? What the Heck is that?

We’ve all seen those little labels, all those letters squeezed in to a quarter of an inch oval. If you’re like most people you have a vague idea of the union of the abbreviation and the word organic vague being the operative word here. Asking for additional information crosses our minds at times but then we retreat suspicious of the response we may solicit. Without further consideration let’s just break it down into a description that offers at minimum clarity to the word organic itself.

Presumably most of us are aware of the acronym USDA, well at least the US portion of it. USDA is the United States Department of Agriculture. The department founded by Good Ole Abe (Abraham Lincoln)in effort to establish food safety standards, support agricultural technology and encourage research and development. What many are not aware of is the fact that the United Stated Department of Agriculture also serves to reduce hungerin the United States as well as internationally. How about that?

Webster defines organic as: relating to or derived form living organisms; a substance of animal or vegetable origin or something raised without the use of drugs, hormones or synthetic chemicals. Additionally organic often denotes simplistic, beautiful and close to nature; the essence of organics breaks down to a derivative of life only.

As with all things, to gain a deeper understanding of the collective arrangement one must first comprehend each individual element of the collective. Now that the individual aspects of the collective have been examined and explained the collective arrangement of words can be restored and defined more clearly.

USDA Organic is a simple label format introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture that indicates to the consumer that the product has been inspected by the governing body and has passed all criteria all criteria required to carry the label organic. Does that not shine a bright light on that tiny oval label?

In future as you meander through the isles of the your favorite health food store or grocery store isles you can rest easy with full clarity when out of the corner of your eye you catch a glimpse of that tiny little oval label.

You’ll be fully aware that the product in sight has passed the inspection of the United States Department of Agriculture. The label indicates that all required testing has been conducted and the conclusion is that Lincoln himself would have consumed this product had he been in search of something deliciously organic. Products sporting this label must pass a national standard of production mandated by the Organic Foods Production Act implemented in 1990.

National standards established a viable model to offer consumers a method of distinguishing foods that could not be otherwise separated providing a verifiable label claim upon completing inspection.

That little oval label that contains only 11 letters certainly is fully loaded. What the Heck??

Eat Healthy with Organic Foods

When you go to the grocery store or supermarket to buy fruits or vegetables, do you pick just any produce or are you particular about getting organic foods? There is a difference between the two and, after our discussion, you may decide that organic foods are the way to go. Let’s take a look at the benefits of buying organic produce.

While both types of produce may look the same, organic foods must be able to meet specific standards of production, including specific growing and processing conditions that are unique to foods that can be labeled “organic”. For crop foods, the organic foods can’t be grown using any chemical pesticides, non-organic fertilizer, human waste fertilizer or sludge from sewage. They also cannot be processed using ionizing radiation—a process that kills bacteria but that some people believe is unsafe. Finally, the food can’t be genetically altered.

At one point, organic foods were grown on small farms, particularly those that were family-owned and operated. In today’s time, however, organic foods are grown on larger farms and are more readily available in most supermarkets, co-ops and health food stores. In the US, parts of Europe and Japan, the production of organic foods is currently federally regulated and in other countries, specific organic certification is required before these foods can be sold.

Organic foods can include fresh vegetables and fruits, which are not processed and come directly from the growers through farmer’s markets, supermarkets and roadside stands. Many of these products are only available during certain times of the year. One can also get organic eggs, dairy products and meat in their fresh and unprocessed forms.

Organic eggs are generally provided by free-range chickens and not from those kept in cages in large, egg factories. Organic meats must not come from animals that have been treated with any growth hormones, steroids or antibiotics. Processed organic foods can be found in the organic food section of the supermarket but often are more expensive than their conventional food counterparts. Processed organic foods can include canned products, frozen produce, prepared items and even snack foods.

In truth, processed organic foods need only contain a certain percentage of organic ingredients. In Australia, for example, a food can be labeled “organic” if it contains at least 95% organic ingredients. In other countries, however, the percentage can be less than that. Even so, those non-organic ingredients must be free of artificial food additives and no aspect of the food can be processed using chemical ripening techniques, genetic modification or irradiation. In some cases, the organic food must be made using energy-saving techniques and packaged in recyclable or biodegradable materials. It’s not always easy to identify whether or not your food is truly organic. Sometimes, you need to buy directly from an organic grower in order to be certain the food is organic. More recently, however, foods that are organic can be identified by governmental labeling, stating that the food is “certified organic”.

Because of the safety and wholesomeness of organic foods, you may wish to do you and your family a favor by buying only organic products. The food tastes excellent and you can be assured you’re getting a product that won’t be harmful to you.

Eat Better: The Health Benefits of Organic Foods

Organic foods have become easier and easier to obtain in recent years. Still, many consumers wonder if this type of food is healthy enough to be worth the often extra cost. Many of the benefits of organic foods have come to consumers through word of mouth and the promotions put on by advocates of organic eating. Fortunately, there has been research and several solid arguments supporting the use of organic foods in everyday eating.

Several recent studies on farms which produce organic foods determined that organic farms don’t release synthetic pesticides into the ground, the air and, most importantly, the water table. Some of the inorganic, chemical pesticides are known to be harmful to wildlife and other animals. Organic farms also are superior to conventional farms when it comes to maintaining surrounding natural ecosystems. This includes, maintaining healthy populations of natural plants, insects and indigenous animals. They also rotate crops more often to maintain a healthy soil.

When researchers calculated the energy use per unit area or per unit of yield of organic food-producing farms, it was found that organic farms used less energy and generated less packaging and chemical waste than conventional produce farms. The yield in organic produce farms is about 20 percent less when those farms used half the fertilizer and 97 percent less pesticide than conventional farming. Others feel that organically-used soil is of a higher quality and maintains higher water retention than farms that raise produce conventionally. This factor may improve the yield of organic farms during years when rainfall is less than average.

In one study on organic farming techniques, a comparison of an organic farm and a conventional farm during a drought season, the yields of soybeans were between 50 and 90 percent better than the regular farms. Organic corn yields were mixed but, on average, the farms were on par with conventional farms.

Consider the risk of pesticide exposure on farm workers. Farm workers on organic farms are spared the health risks of being exposed to pesticides, which are great, even when used correctly. Pesticides made from organophosphates, in particular, can cause serious acute health problems with over-exposure. Long term exposure, unfortunately, is associated with breathing problems, memory problems, skin conditions, cancer, miscarriages and birth defects.

To make matters worse, those who eat food not grown in an organic fashion can be exposed to both pesticides and herbicides that remain on the food. This is why all produce from conventional farms should be washed carefully. Exposure to certain herbicides is known to cause birth defects, even in small doses. Sadly, one recent study showed that the greatest source of pesticides in babies is through the dietary consumption of food not grown in an organic fashion.

On a happier note, another study found that a group of children who were switched from a regular diet to an organic diet dramatically reduced their levels or organophosphate pesticide exposure. In addition, studies have shown that organic food actually tastes better in taste tests than conventional food.

If you want to keep your family as healthy as possible, consider making the switch to organic foods. The benefits to the environment and likely to your family’s health are considerable.

Are they Worth It? Arguments against Organic Foods

On any day at the supermarket, consumers have the option of buying foods from conventional produce farms that use chemical pesticides and herbicides or organic foods—grown on farms that use only natural products to keep pests and weeds away from the produce. Organic foods are clearly more expensive and some consumers wonder if the extra expense is worth it. While foods not grown using organic techniques definitely will contain residues of one or more types of pesticides, one study done in 2002 revealed that organic produce routinely contain pesticide residue as well, but only one-third as much as conventional produce. Even so, the potential for ingesting pesticides from organic foods still exists so this type of food needs to be washed just like other produce. Unfortunately, no standards exist as to how much pesticide consumption is tolerable.

Another important point that detractors of organic produce make is the finding that up to half of all “natural chemicals” used in food production have been found to be cancer-causing when tested in a laboratory. Chemists debate whether any chemicals put on foods is safe and there are those who doubt that any chemical food residue truly has the ability to cause cancer—regardless of whether they are organic or conventionally-grown.

There are those who are actively looking at organic foods and their ability to sustain the population of the earth. Some of these researchers feel that organic agriculture alone is incapable of keeping up with the world’s food demands. In addition, some agriculturists feel that the soil benefits found in organic farming is solely due to good crop rotation and has little to do with the actual organic techniques.

Organic farmers have a greater time keeping their crops free of mold, pests and other diseases, resulting in a lesser quality of produce and in greater crop losses by the end of the growing season. One researcher claimed that growing only organic tomatoes, for example, would consume more than 600 percent more land than tomatoes grown using conventional methods. Most people believe that organic produce is completely free of pesticides and that no pesticides are used in the growing of organic crops. This is, in fact, not true. Organic farmers aim to use as little pesticides as possible but such chemicals are still used to some extent. In addition, some organic pesticides contain an excess of copper—a heavy metal. Copper leaches into the soil, builds up and can cause health problems just like other pesticides.

Other pesticides approved for use in organic farming have some toxicity as well. The pesticide known as sabadilla has been shown to be toxic to honeybees and is being studied as a potentially toxic substance in larger animals and humans. Interestingly, while organic pesticides must be extensively tested before they are allowed to be used to grow produce, “organic pesticides” do not have the same requirements and may be as toxic as their conventional counterparts.

Organic foods are more expensive to grow and are thus more expensive to purchase than regular foods. This means that organic foods are less available to individuals living at lower income levels. The cost difference for organic foods is approximately ten to forty percent higher in average cost when compared to olrganic foods.

Every family has to make its own decision as to whether or not to go “organic” and buy only organically-grown foods. Some experts feel it is worth the extra cost to consumers to buy organic foods, while others question the actual benefit of buying them.

Decades of Change: The History of Organic Farming

Fifteen years ago, you may have had a hard time finding an organic tomato in your local supermarket. Due to recent farming advances and public awareness, however, consumers can find a host of organic products in supermarket shelves and in the produce section of grocery stores across America. How did we come to the point we’re at today and when did buying produce become so complicated.

In truth, it’s the type of farming in which farmers use artificial pesticides, herbicides and other conventional farming techniques that is really historically new to us. Before 1940, much of the produce grown and eaten in American homes was totally organic and was often picked no further than one’s own backyard.

The use of chemical additives and even farm implements we see today gradually found its way into farming in the first half of the Twentieth Century. In 1950, there were three million tractors in the US, up from 600 tractors in 1910. At about the same time, proponents of organic farming techniques began to practice their trade, beginning in Central Europe and India around 1920.

Organic farming methods began to reach consumer awareness, beginning in the 1950s and, in the following two decades, there was an increasing concern about the environmental effects of farming techniques using chemical pesticides and herbicides. This was when food-purchasing cooperatives and specialized organic food producers came to the forefront among some consumers.

In the 1970s and 1980s, regulators recognized a growing need for some way to provide organic certification to those farmers who followed specific growing rules and who used approved growing techniques. It wasn’t, however, until the 1990s that the formal or governmental certification of organic foods became available in the US and in several countries throughout the world.

In the last two decades, the availability of organic foods on the market grew dramatically and, at one point, the surge of growth of the organic food market exceeded twenty percent per year. In fact, the sales of organic baby food increased by almost twenty-two percent in 2006 alone.

In the last five to seven years, multinational food companies have jumped on the organic food bandwagon and have increased their research and development of foods that could be certified organic. This has led to an increase in the availability of processed organic foods and in the lowering of the cost of these types of products.

In today’s time, organic foods continue to be more expensive than their conventional counterparts, in part due to the fact that organic farmers must meet stricter quality guidelines. This is a labor intensive process that drives up the costs of the product.

To meet consumer demand, supermarkets strictly devoted to providing organic foods, such as the Whole Foods Market and Waitrose (in the UK), have gone into business and are providing quality organic foods to consumers. In order to provide organic foods to a larger population, Wal-Mart announced its plans to increase the availability of organic foods to its customers and at a lower cost than the supermarkets.

It appears that, almost as soon as the big farmers began putting synthetic pesticides and herbicides on their crops, a backlash developed and a group of dedicated farmers and consumers worked—and continue to work—toward improving the availability and quality of organic foods for those food consumers who can’t grow an organic produce garden in their own backyard.

A Healthy World: International Trends in Organic Farming

There has been much talk in recent years about the global environment and what issues have developed since the bulk of farming is conventional farming instead of the more traditional organic farming. Conventional farming allows for the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides—some of which has been found to harm the environment, even when used correctly.

Countries throughout the world are, to varying degrees, exploring organic farming techniques as environmentally-friendly ways to grow produce for the world’s population while keeping the environment as healthy as possible. Organic farming, as we know it today, began in Central Europe and in India. Today, there are many countries dedicated to growing produce using organic techniques without reducing the world’s food supply.

In the US, organic food can be formally certified “organic” by passing strict guidelines assuring the food is truly organic. The certifying organization is known as the “National Organic Program”.

There are other organic food movements in the US, however, that are trying to bypass the formality of certification by proposing other, less expensive standards, like the “Authentic Food Standard”. This standard allows for the passage of various criteria, including that all foods be sold by the organic producer, that fresh produce, milk, eggs and meat be sold within 50 miles of their production and that cheese, wine, bread and other fermented products be produced using traditional methods.

Another US-based organic food approach is based on producing and selling organic food products locally. Consumers partner with local farmers and pre-purchase a certain percentage of the year’s harvest. Supporters believe that locally-produced and sold organic foods taste better than those foods transported over long distances in refrigerated trucks.

Throughout the world, food that is grown using strictly organic techniques accounts for approximately 1-2 percent of gross food sales. Organic food sales, however, are growing dramatically worldwide. In fact, the world organic food market has been growing consistently since 1990 at a rate of 20 percent per year.

In the European Union, the EU-Eco-regulation organization regulates all of the organic food in Europe. In Austria, organic farmers have been given incentives and experts expect that up to 10% of all foods grown locally. In Germany, almost all baby food is completely organic and, in some places, up to a third of all bread is baked using organic ingredients. Italy has gone even further to assure that its children eat organic food. Its government has legislated that, as of 2005, all food prepared in school lunch programs must be organic food.

In the UK, it was reported that more than 600,000 hectares of land was allotted and managed under organic care standards and sales of organic foods increased from approximately 100 million pounds to over 1.2 billion pounds in only ten years. Perhaps the biggest change has happened in Cuba, where, in 1990, the government banned many chemicals used in conventional farming and converted the land in the entire country to organic farm land. This means that it would be rare to even find a piece of conventionally grown produce within the country.

Clearly the globe is going organic and several countries are light years ahead of the US in promoting organic eating and providing incentives to organic farmers. The trend, however, is definitely headed in the right direction.

Taste Hot and Delicious Organic Coffee

Coffee drinkers everywhere now have the option of forgoing their ordinary cup of coffee and going “organic”. Coffee made from organic coffee beans has advantages and is healthier for you than its traditional counterpart.

Organic coffee is created using beans that have been cultivated and harvested without the use of chemical or synthetic pesticides or herbicides, which can be harmful to both growers and consumers. Because the yield of organic coffee is less than with traditional coffee, this type of coffee tends to be more expensive than regular coffee. In growing organic coffee, emphasis is made on recycling, fair trade purchasing, composting, and soil health, as well as on a healthy environment. Coffee is certified organic using a third party certification organization; most commonly, organic growers use the Organic Crop Improvement Association. There is a cost involved, cutting into the profits of the small producers that often make this type of coffee. In addition, organic coffee is “shade grown”, which reduces yield and also adds to the cost of this type of coffee.

Most organic coffee is also considered “fair trade coffee” and a special certification is required for that status. Fair trade coffee is traded in such a way as to bypass the coffee trader, allowing better profits to the producer, in general. The third party certification organization that certifies fair trade coffee is called TransFair USA.

Organic coffee traded using fair trade methods involves an agreement by coffee importers and small farmers that says the importers will purchase their organic coffee from smaller farmers listed in the International Fair Trade Coffee Register. Organic growers are guaranteed a minimum “fair trade price” for their coffee and importers provide a certain amount of credit to growers against future sales, keeping farmers out of debt. The middle man is cut out of this process.

It is also important in organic coffee farming that the farming be sustainable. While the definition of “sustainable” varies, it basically means that the growth of the organic coffee is healthy for the environment and the people who grow and buy it. Sustainable organic farming doesn’t destroy the land the product is grown on and uses very little external energy in the production of the organic product.

A sustainable organic farm is designed to give back to the land as much as it receives from it. Non-renewable resources are avoided and pollution in the farming process is minimized as much as possible. Sustainable organic farming thinks of the health and welfare of the employees as well. One example of using sustainable farming is to reuse the organic coffee husks as heating fuel rather than using petroleum or natural gas heating. New trees are grown to make up for those used in heating.

Sustainable organic coffee growing takes steps to avoid excess energy added to the system. For example, a solar coffee drying system is used instead of commercial coffee bean dryers. Water consumption is minimized in sustainable organic coffee growing and the water used is kept clean. Water from the coffee fermentation tanks is never dumped in rivers or lakes but is filtered naturally through the earth before being used for irrigation.

Sustainable organic farms will spread organic fertilizer like composted coffee pulp under and between the coffee trees. Yields are increased and the mineral content in the soil is maximized. All in all, organic coffee farming is safe, healthy and good for the environment. Consumers can buy these products in cooperatives, health food stores and some supermarkets.

The Health Benefits of Organic Meat

Organic meat differs from regular meat in the way the animal farmer raised the animal priorto butchering. Organic meats must be certified through one of several certification organizations, including the Midwest Organic Services Association.

Farmers must follow strict organic guidelines in the production of the meat product.

Meat certified organic are often born on farms and raised with the utmost of respect and animal dignity. Beef cattle are not raised in pens but are often free to roam the farm with unrestricted access to water, food, sunshine and outdoor air at all times.

Everything that goes into an organic farm animal must also be organic. The pastures the animals graze in must be certified organic themselves. Organic forage and grains grown organically must be fed to the animals and organic pest control must be utilized on these farms. No synthetic or chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers are applied to local fields or pastures.

Organic animal farms must apply specific conservation practices to preserve the natural surroundings and the soil in the area. Water is not wasted and recycling is used whenever possible.

No organic meat can be certified organic if the animal has been fed any antibiotics, growth hormones, steroids or animal byproducts. Animals are fed what they eat in the pastures and organically grown farm products, such as organic hay. Water is free from contaminants.

In many cases, animals grown on organic animal farms are removed from the program if they ever become sick enough to require antibiotics. They are removed from the herd as soon as their illness is discovered. While antibiotics are an excellent way to treat bacterial infections, there is always the risk of developing resistant strains of bacteria and no one knows the health effects to consumers who eat meat treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics speed the growth of cattle that seem to grow using less feed but, because of resistances, sick animals often can’t be well treated and often die of their illness.

Growth hormones, eliminated from the production of organic meats, are given to cattle to speed up their growth on less feed.

This is another situation where scientists do not know the effect of this practice on consumers who eat non-organic meats. Most organic meat comes from animals grown from birth on small farms in which the animal has free range to move around on the pasture and to eat when it wants to. Such animals generally are healthier than their conventional counterparts and are treated more humanely. Animals are allowed to mate as they wish, adding to the sustainability of the farming practice. Much of the organic meat is derived from bull meat, which is some of the leanest meat around. Farmers who raise bulls and sell them (called seed stock producers) must provide affidavits stating that their bulls were not raised using antibiotics or growth hormones from the time of their birth. Such affidavits generally go back at least twenty months prior to the time that the organic farmer purchased the animal.

Organic meats, particularly organic meat, may be somewhat more expensive than conventionally-grown meat. In general, however, the meat is fresh and the consumer can guarantee that there is nothing unhealthy in the organic meat product.

The Beauty of the Perfect Cup of Organic Tea

As our world becomes more and more filled with plastic waste, unused pesticides and herbicides, many tea lovers have come to the conclusion that organic tea is not only the safest tea you can buy but that it might even be the tastiest. Let’s look at organic teas and how it’s made for the consumer.

Organic tea begins with soil that can be considered “organic” itself. Soil quality has a great deal to do with the foods we eat and drink, whether it be meat products, produce or products like tea, which are harvested from tea plants grown in the soil.

The tea plant itself can live more than a hundred years and is generally tightly rooted into the ground, eliminating the chance for crop rotation. Nutrients must be directly added to the tea bush and, in organic tea plants, these nutrients must be natural products. On conventional tea farms, chemical fertilizers are sprayed directly onto the tea plant, which retains some of the chemical when harvested. Over-treating the land can burn the tea leaves and destroy soil integrity, leaving the soil vulnerable to erosion.

In organic tea estates, nutrients added to the soil are typically made from manure, compost or plant cuttings. Microbes in the soil break down the fertilizer, making it useful to the organic tea plant. Some organic tea gardens practice a custom called permaculture, in which plants are grown between the tea plants to allow for an interconnected and sustainable soil system. Some of the plants used in this practice are legumes, which rejuvenate the soil by adding nitrogen to it.

Some tea gardens practice biodynamic agriculture in which the entire area is considered a holistic, self-nourishing soil system. Carefully-aged soil preparations use plants like dandelion, yarrow and chamomile, which are worked into the soil in harmony with local conditions. Organic soil is kept healthy and nutritious without the addition of harmful chemicals. Organic tea is labeled as such by being “Certified 100% Organic”. This applies to loose leaf tea and to tea inside teabags.

Certified organic tea is grown, handled, processed, stored and packaged in accordance with the standards set forth by the National Organic Program. This type of food is also regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Certified organic tea is grown on farms that have been inspected on a yearly basis by the certifying agency. The tea handler and the processor of the tea leaves are also inspected and must meet the regulations of the certifying body. Some products, simply labeled “organic” are not 100% organic but must contain at least 95% organic food product.

The organic tea producer is also audited yearly and is issued a certificate that says the producer have met USDA-National Organic Standards for handling organic tea. A certificate is required for each type of tea labeled and sold as 100% organic. Steps are taken to prevent the commingling of non-organic and organic ingredients at all times and machines are washed to prevent commingling.

Purchasing 100% organic tea signifies to the buyer that the tea they are drinking is not laced with pesticides or other chemicals. Non-organic tea, given that the leaves are routinely sprayed with pesticides, may contain trace chemicals that are not healthy for anyone to drink.

Organic Milk: Is it Worth It?

Organic milk producers are quick to tell you that their milk is delicious and that it is made from cows untreated with antibiotics or growth hormones and cows not exposed to dangerous pesticides. Organic milk-producing cows are fed organic feed and are free ranging; the milk is pasteurized and homogenized like regular milk and it even contains vitamin D. Such claims have brought up the demand for organic milk, sometimes at double the cost of regular milk. Some consumers wonder, is it worth the added cost?

Some turn to organic milk in the belief that this milk is healthier, while others have strong environmental or animal rights’ beliefs. Research, however, is limited when it comes to comparing the health benefits of organic milk over conventional milk. This can be confusing to some milk drinkers.

The United States Department of Agriculture has four specific requirements that help in the definition of which milk is organic and which milk is not. One requirement is that organic milk must come from cows never treated with bovine growth hormone, used to increase milk production. Some feel that milk treated this way could increase hormone-related cancers or affect growth hormone levels in humans.

Interestingly, bovine growth hormone (BGH) is protein-related, meaning that if a human ingests it, the protein gets destroyed in the acidic environment of the stomach. In addition, while non-organic milk contains insulin growth factor (IGF-1), an individual would have to drink 95 quarts of milk a day to equal the amount of IGF-1 we produce in our bodies every day. That’s not much of a disadvantage over organic milk. Several organic web sites have quoted a study showing that vegans have 13% less IGF-1 than non-vegans but, if you study the research more closely, you’ll find that IGF-1 levels were not related to milk consumption in either group nor was organic milk studied.

Organic milk must come from cows free of antibiotic treatments. If a cow is treated with an antibiotic, it is removed from the herd for a year. Still, conventional herds of cows cannot give milk until tests show that the milk is antibiotic-free. Tanks of milk are tested for the presence of antibiotics on a regular basis.

Another requirement for organic milk is that the cows are fed feed that is grown without pesticides. Some USDA reports indicate that non-organic milk may be allowed to contain small amounts of specific pesticides, below established tolerance levels. Research has not found any health issues related to pesticides in cow feed and health risks in humans.

Finally, organic milk must come from cows that have “access to pasture”. Some consumers envision year-round grazing of happy cows. However, as there is no minimum requirement, organic milk can come from cows that have had limited access to a pasture.

There are those who believe that pasture-fed cows produce more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)—an essential fatty acid found to be protective against cancer. Experts, on the other hand, say that grass feeding alone does not definitely lead to increased CLA levels. Cows fed mixed grains and soybeans, in fact, can produce milk with levels of CLA higher than that in organic milk.

Organic milk may taste better to some and is animal-friendly; however it doesn’t necessarily mean it is healthier for you than the much-cheaper conventional milk.

What makes Organic Make Up Better?

Most organic make up producers take special pride in providing you with organically-based cosmetics produced using the highest possible standards. Cosmetics and skin care products labeled “organic” must pass certain certification standards. Users of organic make up believe they are getting a healthier and higher quality product.

Makers of high quality organic cosmetics require that their ingredients are all-natural and come from unrefined, preservative-free organic ingredients that are cold processed so as not to break down the delicate features of the product. While every product needs some processing, manufacturers of organic make up do this in an environmentally-friendly way. Organic make up avoids synthetic preservatives or those that release formaldehyde that can get into an individual’s skin. This means that no parabens, urea derivatives or other formaldehyde-producing products are used in their cosmetics. In the same way, no petrochemicals are used, which are those preservatives derived from petroleum. This includes petroleum jelly, mineral oil, parabens, propylene glycol, acetones or benzene-like products are used.

Some cosmetics require extraction steps with solvents. Most chemical solvents are fairly toxic to humans and these are avoided in organic make up production. Phthalates, found in plastics, have been known to mimic the hormone, estrogen, and can cause female-related diseases. These, too, are avoided in the making and packaging of organic make up.

Commonly used detergents, like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and related compounds, are kept out of organic make up and skin care products. These are irritating to the skin and other natural options are available. In addition, all ingredients in this type of make up must be certified organic or be verified as being pesticide free.

Part of being good to the environment in the making of organic cosmetics, many manufacturers require that there be no animal testing or other cruelty to animals in the making of their products. All fragrances are natural and all essential oils come from natural sources. Special attention is made to make sure there are no pesticide residues in any of their organic products.

Essential oils are extracted from bark, roots, flowers, stems and leaves of organic plant sources. They are cold pressed or steam distilled to keep the oil fresh and not degraded. Essential oils are used as organic make up preservatives, fragrances and to create a certain texture. Only small amounts of essential oils are used to protect sensitive skin.

In some cases, organic make up can contain iron oxides and titanium dioxide that are processed synthetically but exist in nature. In nature, these ores contain too many contaminants to be able to be used. In addition, fractionated oil is often used that is derived from coconut oil and palm oil. This is considered a semi-synthetic part of organic make up.

Because some companies can call their product all-natural, consumers need to ask further and look at the ingredient list to make sure the cosmetic product they are buying is, indeed, organic. Hopefully, the above information will help consumers interested in purchasing the safest, healthiest and most environmentally-friendly organic products.