in developed countries organic farming become common and there are both organic and conventional foods in the market. i want o know the advantages of organic or conventional farming inter mes of productivity, pest and disease resistance, finally on health effect.
In the research papers there Is a lot of diferent opinions regarding the better quality of organicaly produced food over the conventionaly grown ...
Personaly, I believe In some advantages of "organic" products.
I think that this attached article will be useful to what you are looking for:
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm
In my opinion, organic food is fine but it is more costly than conventional food so economics will play a key role in personal choices.
I do not think that the risk will always be present in conventional food given the continuous progress in scientific research. Add to it, that there are some "clean" vegetables & fruits produced by conventional methods.
The growth of world population will necessitate more dependence on genetically modified food products. Most of the cereals, we eat now for breakfast, already contain GM ingredients!
In the research papers there Is a lot of diferent opinions regarding the better quality of organicaly produced food over the conventionaly grown ...
Personaly, I believe In some advantages of "organic" products.
Organic food products have less pesticides per construction but may have more mycotoxins. About nutrients (or antioxidants) per se the differences between organic and conventional are often non significant and when "statistically significant" in a controlled scientific experiment so slight as not to be of practical relevance, given that the main factors in nutrients composition (for a single species) are variety and climate. And other practices of the farmer such as pruning, irrigation, amount of fertilisation, sawing density...
People who buy organic usually cite these reasons for their decision:
They’re safer. Fruits and vegetables labeled as organic are generally grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Livestock raised under organic practices aren’t fed antibiotics or growth hormones.
They’re kinder to the environment. Organic farming practices are designed to be more sustainable, emphasizing conservation and reducing pollutants.
They’re healthier. A few studies have suggested organic foods might be higher in nutrients than their traditional counterparts.
It is important to know that organically grown food not necessary have better quality. It is produced on a safer way.
Since I am working on fruits, not all fruit species are better in organic production, neither all cultivars of the same specie are responding in a better way when grow organically. So, it depends ......
In point of my view organics are healthier than traditions. But it depends on which type of cultivars are cultured. If you product a genetic modified (GM) plant in organic way or in a conventionally I think has not more different between them. But if you use a usual cultivar, be sure the organic plant is better. Because it produce according to a scientific accepted way, but conventionally foods some times are not healthy.
WHAT DOES ORGANIC REALLY MEAN?
See the attached summary sourced from USDA, National Organic Program (NOP), Economic Research Service, organic.org.
"ORGANIC" SEAFOOD
See the attached warning From Tufts University Health Reports
GRASS-FED BEEF (Advise from Dr. Steven Gundry, MD, Jan. 16, 2017): Switch to grass-fed beef.
Dear dr Foris,
Thank you for sharing these excellent articles!
@Dear Jelena, Ali, Melese - you are welcome. Best wishes in your research! AF
Organic Foods: What you Need to Know. What does "organic" mean? organic vs non-organic; the benefits of organic food; organic food vs. locally-grown food; the benefits of locally grown food; understanding GMOs; GMOs and pesticides; are GMOs safe? does organic mean pesticide-free? what are the possible risks of pesticides? Does washing and pealing produce get rid of pesticides? Know your produce pesticide levels; fruits and vegetables where organic label matters most, and fruits
and vegetables you don't need to buy organic; buy organic meat, eggs, and dairy if you can afford to; what is in American meat? Other ways to keep the cost of organic food within your budget; organic food buying tips; why is organic food more expensive; and more in the attached article from HELPGUIDE.ORG.
Thank you dr Foris,
You shared very useful atricles.
Indeed, food quality and benefits from its consumption are important issues.
Good question
See this link
Article Determination of selenium in roasted beans coffee samples co...
Article Neutron activation analysis of major and trace elements in A...
Dear dr Mohammed,
Thank you for adding these atricles.
J
Thank you dear Dr. Jelena B Popović-Djordjević
I agree with Doctor Jelena B Popović-Djordjević
GMO FAQ - What are they; Are they safe; How can I avoid GMOs; Where do they show up in my food; How do GMO crops affect farmers?
Know what you are getting with cage-free eggs. From Environmental Nutrition, April 2018.
Dear dr Foris,
It Is good to have In mind all these informations.
Thank you!
High-pesticide-residue in fruits and vegetables may reduce fertility.
Dear dr Foris,
it is of a great value to read the articles that you present here.
Thank you!
"What Labels Mean and Don't" was from Consumer Reports, July 2017. The issue also contains excellent advice how to "Shop Like a Food Safety Expert", as well as an article "Do Online Groceries Really Deliver", and "The Rise of the Virtual Market".
Dear Dr., it is really an interesting question.
"Any consumers who buy organic food because they believe that it contains more healthful nutrients than conventional food are wasting their money.Joseph Rosen, emeritus professor of food toxicology at Rutgers University
"Getting in the habit of choosing organic food whenever you can will ensure that you and your family get the nutritional benefits nature provides. It is a cornerstone on which to structure a lifestyle that will promote and maintain health lifelong.Andrew Weil, former board member of the Organic Trade Association's The Organic Center
The main difference between organic and conventional food products are of course the chemicals involved during production and processing. The conventional food production practices involve the use of a number of chemicals which have a devastating effect on the environment, while the residues of these chemicals in food products have dubious effects on human health. All food products on the market including those that contain residues of pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones and other types of chemicals that are used during production and processing are said to be safe. There are no reports about people getting ill from eating conventionally grown food, however, it is important to be aware that the effects of these chemicals in the long term remain unknown. What is more, some national health organizations recommend parents to choose organic food products for their children because they are more vulnerable to the effects of pesticides than the adults making one wonder whether the residues of these chemicals in food products are really as harmless as they are claimed to be.
Organic food virtually eliminates the risk of chemical residues but this is not its main advantage over conventional products. Strict avoidance of all chemicals in all stages of production makes organic food much more environmentally friendly because the use of all natural production methods eliminates the risk of soil and underwater contamination, and helps preserve biodiversity and wildlife both of which have been seriously affected by the human actions, primarily urbanization and intensive agriculture. Organic farming also improves animal welfare because organic farms are required to keep their animals in certain environment and provide them access to sunlight and outdoors, for instance. In the end, organic food helps reduce the carbon dioxide emissions and fight the global climate change because it is mostly sold locally.
Organic food may be more expensive than the conventionally produced one but the price alone does not show the whole picture. You may pay less for conventional food but if you take into account the damaging effect of conventional food producing practices on the environment and clean-up costs, organic food is actually less expensive. Yields in some cultures may be slightly lower, however, organic food producers do not have any costs for pesticides, artificial fertilisers and other chemicals, while organic animal farms save their money on veterinary expenses because animals are not raised at high stocking density and are less likely to be affected by diseases.
Are organic foods right for me? If you seek healthier and safer alternatives to conventionally grown foods, then YES, organic foods are the right choice for you. Apart from their greater nutritional content, you also support local communities and protect the environment.
Essentially, organic pertains to the way agricultural produce and products are grown and processed. To be classified as organic, crops must be grown in safe and natural soil, must have no modifications – genetic or otherwise – and must be separated from conventional produce and products. Organic crops are not exposed to synthetic pesticides, GMOs and fertilizers that are petroleum-based or sewage sludge-based. Organic farming practices include the usage of natural fertilizers such as compost and manure to feed soil and plants. Crop rotation, mulching and tilling are used to control weeds, while insects are controlled using natural methods such as traps and birds.
Similarly, organic livestock must be raised on a diet of organic feed and must have adequate access to the outdoors; they should not be administered growth hormones, antibiotics, or any animal-by-products.
Are organic foods and natural foods the same? Natural foods are not the same as organic foods, although it is quite common for people to use the terms interchangeably. Foods that are natural are those that do not contain artificial colours and flavours, artificial preservatives, GMOs and irradiated ingredients. Therefore, all organic foods are natural, but not the other way around.
How do organic foods benefit me? Organic foods are associated with a variety of benefits – due to the absence of chemicals and artificial treatments, they spare the ecosystem the damage, and are strongly believed to deliver great benefits to your health.
1. Organic foods are safer to consume Since organic foods are pesticide and chemical free, there are no harmful residues that are left on the foods, making them several times safer than conventionally grown foods that employ fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. This translates to lesser bouts of food-borne diseases.
2. Organic foods are healthier for you Organic foods are a richer source of antioxidants as compared to conventionally grown foods. Studies have indicated that organic fruits and vegetables contain 27% more Vitamin C, 21.1% more Iron, 29.3% more Magnesium, 13.6% more Phosphorus, and 18% more Polyphenols while organic meats are less fatty. They have also noted that dairy products from organically raised livestock are healthier than conventionally produced dairy products – specifically, the content of Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants were significantly higher in organically produced milk.
3. They are often fresher Organic foods are typically fresher as they are not preserved using chemical preservatives or agents. Hence these foods have shorter shelf life than the ones that are conventionally grown. This leads to quicker and more regular replenishment of fresher stock for consumption. Fresh food tastes better than the one that has been frozen, stored and shipped across long distances.
4. Organic farming is greener Besides delivering health benefits, organic farming is better for the environment. These farming practices work to reduce air pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion and increase soil fertility, and consume lesser energy.
“Healthy cooking is the best preventive medicine.”
Joni Sare
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“With the wrong diet, no medicine can help. With the right diet, no medicine is necessary.”
Ayurvedic proverb ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“When diet is wrong medicine is of no use. When diet is correct medicine is of no need.”
Ancient Ayurvedic Proverb ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
J R R Tolkien~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“The knowledge of the health, history and connections to
our ecology from what we eat is likely the nutrition that we lack the most.”
Jay Holecek~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”
La Rochefoucauld~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skill of the physician.”
Chinese Proverb~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star.”
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will instruct his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
Thomas Edison~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
Hippocrates
Bone Char, sourced from cattle, might be used to turn sugar white. Organic sugar is not produced with bone char (Consumer Reports, July 20, 2017).
The word on food labels. The attached is reproduced from UCLA Health Letters, Volume HY 18, HEALTHY Years.
Antibiotics in farm animals - history, antibiotic-resistant food-borne illnesses, etc. In Europe, antibiotic grows promoters have not been allowed since 2006; In the USA, an FDA ban went into effect in January. Will meat producers use the same amount of antibiotics, claiming it to be all for disease prevention instead? Consumer Reports provides scoreboards for 25 fast-food restaurants regarding their antibiotic-use policies (tinyurl.com/CR-antibiotics).
The attached article is reproduced from the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, May 2018.
How to reduce pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables that have edible peels. Reproduced from May 2018 University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter.
Dear dr Foris,
Thank you for sharing these valuable articles!
Soy: Superfood or Scapegoat? From Bottom Line Health, April 2018 by Janet Bond Brill, PhD, RDN, FAND.
"Stick to largely unprocessed whole foods..."
Wild-caught versus farm-raised fish.
One might think that farm-raised (aka, "ocean-raised") fish would be better for our health and for the environment. However, farm-raised fish are raised in pens in the ocean secured by nets, or in ponds, depending on the species. Fish there do not get lots of swimming room to use their muscles naturally, nor convert their natural food into the powerful Omega 3 fatty acids; they are prone to disease and are fed antibiotics; they can get out and infect fish in the wild; they tend to be higher in mercury. Farmed salmon are fed pellets instead of what they eat in the wild; they have lower nutritional value than wild-caught salmon; they do not have the natural pink color of the wild-caught salmon, and are fed colorings to make them more appealing; the food they eat affects their flavor and texture. Many wild-caught fish start in Alaska, but to maximize profits, the fish is shipped to China or Russia for processing; the fish is thawed and refrozen multiple times. Most grocery stores and restaurants in the USA that offer salmon are offering such farmed (genetically engineered) salmon. Avoid fish that are moved around the world. Try to get salmon and white fish that are wild-caught in Alaska in accordance with sustainable harvest practices (not over-fished), and are only once frozen after processing in Alaska.
Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which said to protect against stroke, heart attack, and cancer. However, the type of salmon one eats makes a difference. Farm-raised salmon has more that ten times the amount of toxins (including dioxin and PCB's which can cause certain types of cancer) than wild-caught salmon.
Poke - is it a "Raw Deal"? According to a 2014 study, as much as a third of the wild seafood imported to the US was caught illegally. The mercury content of Pacific-caught yellowfin and bigeye tuna has gone up several percent every year between 1998 and 2008, and in 2017, the Food and Drug Administration added bigeye to its list of foods to be avoided by women of childbearing age and children. Some tuna from distributors in Vietnam and the Philippines tested positive for potentially deadly hepatitis A.
See the attached article from Mother Jones, March/April 2018.
Many thanks for your accurate Reponses. But there are various opinions toward “organic foods” and “conventional foods” in the literature. In my opinion, the “integrated foods” originated from the combination of modern and traditional agriculture is a good target for customers. For example, the optimum doses of environmental friendly pesticides (e.g. B.T. powder) can help plants to enhance their products. These bacterial pesticides comprised more than 100 species of bacteria with potential to attack insect and other pests. In this context, studies showed that Bacillus thuringiensis and B. letimorbus and B. popilliae are most important bacteria to use in agricultural fields to control crops pests. However, B.T. powder is not toxic and/or poisonous for human, animal and a wide range of useful insects. So, it can be used as supplementary agent to produce healthy food products. The integrated food products are produced based on novel recommendations from modern agriculture and there is not any significant fatal error with these products to be dangerous for human health.
Today green chemistry methods widely developed to generate new classes of herbicides/pesticides to use in agricultural fields. Conventional chemical agents for controlling pests and diseases are so toxic for our health and the use of safe chemical materials can help us to decrease the side effects associated with conventional agents. But now, if only “organic foods” are useful for human health why conventional agriculture is continued in the developed countries? I read enormous concerns about genetically modified foods in the literature; but unfortunately I couldn’t find an evident for their toxicity against human and animals. Therefore, a large scale and long-term studies on conventional foods will be needed to understand their effects on our health and environment.
We should approve laws to force pesticide/herbicide factories to produce safe and environmental friendly agents to increase the safety of the cultivated crops. Improving the irrigation water by elimination of toxic metals and ions, introducing new environmental friendly pesticide/herbicide to farmers; increasing the quality of education in rural area to produce healthy foods, improving the quality of monitoring systems in agricultural fields, filling gaps among Universities, industries and farmers by practical training, using modern plant breeding techniques to generate healthy and productive crops and etc. are good strategies to produce healthy food products. Summing up, modern agriculture and biotechnology techniques can help human society to construct safe food products without any hesitate about their after-effects (by regular monitoring of these products).
Are imported so-called organic foods safe for consumption, much less organic in the first place?
The Chinese government does not allow foreign inspectors on their farms, and many of the Chinese inspectors won't report poor farming practices out of fear of retribution from their own agencies.
Imported Chinese ginger being sold under a popular organic labe was found to be contaminated with Aldicarb, a pesticide that causes nausea, blurred vision and headaches. The amounts found on the contaminated goods were not even permissible for non-organic ginger.
Thank you for this wonderful question, potentially impacting all our lives. Though this is not my field of specialty, work i have conducted over the past thirty-five years may offer some insight into the process we call disease, that we may then determine the role that organic foods and non-organic foods play.
Let us first re-examine our understanding of disease, aging and evolution that we may then to reveal the answer to this vitally important question.
In what way do we understand the atom, the energy formed within and between and its' role in the "atomic environment" we call the molecule and human cell? In what way do we understand the cell, dna, mitochondria to name but a few cellular players and metabolism as the "biochemical collective" and its' role in human disease, to contribute to what we understand about human disease, aging and evolution?
first let us re-examine the atom and its' environment:
Working Paper Summary of Physics & foundation for mathematics transpose
Then let us to look at human disease, aging and evolution in light of this new understanding:
Article Landtrain Series: Diet
Two, less formal descriptions of the two articles advanced to researchers above:
https://sites.google.com/site/5021physics/home
https://sites.google.com/site/eziestdiet/home
Kindest of regards,
Mark
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