Is Organic Produce Essential?

In one of my latest posts, someone asked about how to find all the nutrient-dense food I had discussed in organic form.  I thought it would make a great topic, so here we go.

As we know, buying organic is good for a number of reasons.  We are not being exposed to the levels of herbicides/pesticides that come with conventional (non-organic) plant-matter. Buying organic means buying non-GMO (genetically modified organisms). As well, if you buy from a small-scale organic farmer, you will likely be supporting someone who cares about the health of the soil they are using, which in turn may lead to a better nutritional profile of the organic veggie.  I’m not certain this can be said of the “big” organic farms.  For example, while I’m happy to buy my President’s Choice organic carrots, trusting that pesticides have not been used, it is hard for me to imagine that farms selling at such a large scale are necessarily going to be that concerned about the soil or rotating crops, etc.  If anyone reading this knows more about the matter, please post in the comments – I’d love to learn about it.

On the down side, organic is often, though not always, more expensive than conventional fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and legumes.  For many people it is just not possible to buy 100% organic, or maybe even 5% organic.  So, I think it’s important to stress that if you have already “gone vegan”, then you are already reducing your intake of pesticides greatly, even if you buy all convential produce.  How is that?  It’s the BIOACCUMULATION FACTOR that exists as we eat higher up the “food chain”.  When you are vegan, you are avoiding this.

Bioaccumulation:

What do I mean by bioaccumulation?  This term relates to the process of chemicals, which may be found in small amounts on plants, in soil, air, water, or lower-food-chain-animals, being ingested by another animal.  For example, if a cow who is to be later killed for her meat eats hundreds of pounds of chemically-laden grains over her life-time, then some of this is going to remain in her fat and other tissues.  Then someone kills this creature, chops her up, ships her body parts off to a supermarket where a human buys and eats them for dinner (or it goes bad and is thrown out…but that’s another topic).  The human who eats this flesh-meat is getting a concentrated amount of chemicals.  Then they eat more animal foods for breakfast, lunch and so on.  Concentrated toxins in the animals that we eat means we are taking those toxins into our own bodies and much of it won’t be excreted.  Instead, it will accumulate and may contribute to a variety of health issues over time.

Now, compare someone who is not eating animals, but is eating only conventionally grown plants.  Yes, you are getting some toxins entering your body, but it in a much less concentrated form, thus you are decreasing your risk of the health issues that come with these chemicals.

Here is an excerpt from an online article I found which gives a few research stats on the subject:

Vegetarians claim other reasons for adopting a meat-free diet. One major concern is the amount of pesticides and synthetic additives such as hormones that show up in meat products. Chemicals tend to accumulate in the tissue of animals that are higher in the food chain, a process called bioaccumulation. Vegetarians, by not eating meat, can avoid the exposure to these accumulated toxins, many of which are known to influence the development of cancer. One study showed that DDT, a cancer-causing pesticide, was present in significant levels in mother’s milk for 99% of American women, but only 8% of vegetarian women had significant levels of the pesticide. Women who eat meat had 35 times higher levels of particular pesticides than vegetarian women. The synthetic hormones and antibiotics added to American cattle has led some European countries to ban American beef altogether. The widespread use of antibiotics in livestock has made many infectious agents more resistant to them, making some diseases harder to treat. (source)

So, now that you know you can rest more easily if you are unable to afford or find organic food, here is a list of plants that were determined by the Environmental Working Group to have the greatest and least amounts of pesticide residues found on/in them when tested.  They have been dubbed “The Dirty Dozen” and “The Clean Fifteen”. You can use this list as a guide to make the most of your money if you want to buy organic.

The Dirty Dozen

• Apples.
• Celery.
• Strawberries.
• Peaches.
• Spinach.
• Nectarines (imported).
• Grapes (imported).
• Sweet bell pepper.
• Potatoes.
• Blueberries (domestic).
• Lettuce.
• Kale/collard greens.

The Clean Fifteen

• Onions
• Sweet corn
• Pineapple
• Avacado
• Asparagus
• Sweet peas
• Mangoes
• Eggplant
• Cantaloupe – domestic
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Watermelon
• Sweet potatoes
• Cabbage
• Watermelon

Other Great Ways to Go Organic:

– Grow Your Own Garden!.  Then you control what goes on and doesn’t get into your food.

–Join a CSA (Community Shared/Supported Agriculture).  This is where you pay a local, usually organic, farmer money for a share of his/her crop before the start of the season.  Then, as the crops begin to grow, you and your fellow CSAer’s share in the abundance on a weekly basis.  CSAs are great because they guarantee an income for the farmer, and the members get to know where their food is coming from (and even visit, if desired).  If it is a poor growing season for certain crops, you may not get much of that/those foods, but you will likely get more of other crops that prefer those conditions.  My experience with the CSA I am a member of (Cedar Down Farm…but they are sold out for this summer) has been amazing, and I’ve always had a true abundance of food!

Of course, these options are seasonal, and when you live in southern Ontario, like I do, you do have to rely on grocery stores in the winter months.  But we can only do the best we can do and..well…that’s it.  So don’t sweat it.  Eat in the best way you are able to and make certain to enjoy every morsel of food that enters your mouth.  Being appreciative and at peace when you eat goes a LONG way toward getting the best nutrition out your meals.