shroomer wrote:
> "aem" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > shroomer wrote:
> > [snips]
> >> Here's an article from WebMD (http://tinyurl.com/567ej) stating
that
> >> organic foods are higher in flavanoids which "play important roles
> >> in preventing cancer and heart disease".
> >>
> > Thanks for the links. If only we knew enough to be more specific
than
> > "play important roles..." But it's a pretty well balanced article.
>
> I'm sure you could find something more specific if you looked for it.
There
> really is an overwhelming amount of credible evidence that organic
food is
> better for the environment and less harmful to our bodies. It is not
a
> "belief system".
>
> Something else I wanted to offer. I saw a Bill Moyers documentary
several
> years ago (wish I remembered the name of it). The thrust of it was
how
> harmful many chemical products are and the lengths the chemical
industry
> goes to hide it from the public. They showed dreadful footage of
chemical
> worker's physical deformities resulting from their exposure to
chemical
> products - even common household products. Awful stuff, but I
digress. Part
> of the program focused on chemicals used in agriculture and the
effects on
> people and the environment. Moyers grew up on a farm and was exposed
to
> several chemicals now banned or known to be carcinogenic. They tested
his
> blood and found something like 80 carcinogenic and more than 100
other known
> harmful chemicals in his system, including DDT (which is banned here
in the
> U.S., but still in use in other countries to control mosquito
populations
> and resulting disease, etc.). It was really well worth watching.
>
> > Here's another quote from it: "However, it's not at all clear
that
> > organic foods are much better for you than other fruits and
> > vegetables. Carl J. Rosen, PhD, interim head of horticultural
science
> > at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, agrees with Francis that
> > nutritional value isn't the main reason many people find organic
foods
> > attractive."
> >
> > "I think it is to some degree naive to think organic foods are more
> > nutritious," Rosen tells WebMD. "Still, one might buy organic foods
for
> > lots of reasons. One is pesticide residue. As for nutritional
quality,
> > a lot of the produce that is sold in the supermarket is grown
> > hydroponically -- that means with no organic matter. If you compare
the
> > nutritional quality of a tomato grown hydroponically to one grown
> > organically, there likely would be some differences, but you
couldn't
> > say one is healthier than the other."
>
> Yeah, some people claim that organic food is more nutritious and more

> flavorful. Now that I will grant you is B.S.
>

Hey there. I've certainly found most organinc food is both more
nutritious and more flavorful. Even "high times" magazine's cannabis
cup found organic buds to be better tasting! Studies have shown
organic foods have more minerals.

Cheers-

> >>From these two articles it appears that the consensus is that
pesticide
> > residue is a primary concern, while fertilizers and food additives
get
> > mixed reviews.
> > [snips]
>
> I would argue that food additives are just as harmful to our bodies
but that
> is another subject. I will quickly say that the growth hormones,
steroids,
> antibiotics, flavor enhancers, and other things that are common in
meat
> products directly effects the health of people who consume them.
Fertilizers
> are harmful to the environment as it releases too much nitrogen into
the
> ecosystem. It changes the symbiotic relationship between trees and
fungi
> which effects nearly everything else in a forest. And it gets into
water and
> feeds algae which, in turn, depletes oxygen in the water. It's like
dominos;
> one thing disrupts another thing which disrupts another thing and so
on.
> Eventually it comes back to us.
>
> I could go on and on about this stuff. The point of it is that things
like
> commonly used agri-chemcials cause a lot of havoc in the environment
which
> ultimately effects you and me in ways that are not obvious or
expected. What
> fuels it is the never ending quest of consumers to pay less for food
while
> farmers endeavor to maximize their profits. Chemicals are used to
bring food
> to market faster and cheaper with little regard for the consequences.
>
> Even if organic foods cost a few percent more on the average,
supporting it
> benefits our health and the world we live in. And, no, I'm not
connected to
> the organic industry in any way! :^)

Good points guys - cheers -