Benefits of Eating Organic Foods - Part 1

In looking at the benefits of eating organic foods, it is important to know and understand some facts about conventional non-organic produce and pesticides in food. We can start by turning to PAN UK, an influential, highly respected and independent campaigner against the use of pesticides.

Their fully researched statistics show that -

• 31,000 tonnes of pesticide are sprayed on UK land every year
• Exposure on a long-term and regular basis to pesticides often results in chronic illnesses such as cancer, and reproductive and neurological related health problems
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that 772,000 new cases of disease caused by pesticides occur annually
• The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) identifies 150 pesticides as potentially carcinogenic (cancer causing)

Farm workers and others involved in the handling and spraying of pesticides are directly exposed. Pan UK point out that plantation workers in Costa Rica (where a high proportion of UK imported fruit originates) are testament to the risks -

...Local farmers complain of respiratory problems, allergies and serious chronic dermatitis. Local communities have seen their cattle lose their hair and their unborn calves after eating contaminated pasture. They’re concerned that they are drinking and washing in water affected by the same chemicals. Costa Rica

Chemicals that are left as nature intends them are obviously needed by us all. The problem arises with the synergistic effects.

When we start mixing chemicals together to produce certain actions, such as in Pesticides, the effects are not good at all.

In the pesticides used in intensive farming several thousand chemicals can be hidden. That is to say not declared. These dangers of pesticides are significant to your health, and the health of our environment.

These are called 'inerts' and many of the toxic ones react with each other. Examples are DDT and Dioxin. The result is a magnification in toxicity.

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Known Effects -

• Developmental and behavioural effects in various animal species
• Associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Reproductive and endocrine disruptions
• Associated with a cancer in dogs (canine malignant lymphoma)
• Increased number of abnormal sperm in exposed farmers
• Decreased fertility in male rats

These pesticides, toxic synthetic chemicals that damage peoples' health are absorbed into the soil and find their way into the rivers, polluting both.

This results in -

• Loss of biodiversity - destroying animal, plant and micro-organic life. This depletes the resources of the local ecosystem resulting in infertility, lack of resistance to pests and disease etc
• Interference with natural pest control - soil and the environment in general has its own system for dealing with pests
• Animal deaths and disease

And then there's our food.

The toxic chemicals that drench our crops, fruit and vegetables are then absorbed through the roots and skins contaminating them.

Some of us believe that rinsing fruit or vegetables under the tap will remove pesticide from them. Unfortunately that is neither true, nor possible! Even the corporations and governments admit that there are pesticide residues in our food. Drops of water on the skin of an apple will not detoxify it.

In the UK, the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD), an Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says ...

When we approve pesticides we expect that small amounts (residues) will usually turn up in food supplies. They are also expected to turn up in the environment and drinking water... This is another of the important benefits of organic food - it is free of these pesticide residues.

If you study the Pan UK website you will find statistics on the contamination of our food; that is, the food that actually comes into our homes to be eaten by us. Examples -

• 43% of all fruit and vegetables contain measurable pesticide residues
• 50% of all lettuce has pesticide residues from more than 7 synthetic chemicals
• 30% of all cereals are contaminated with pesticide residues
• 93% of Oranges contain pesticide residues

These are the sobering facts.

For the GOOD NEWS and a look at the health benefits of eating organic foods, visit Part 2 - Organic Foods - Benefits.

Read More:

Return from Benefits of Eating Organic Foods - Pesticide Free to Organic Arable Farming.

Return from Benefits of Eating Organic Foods - Pesticide Free to Benefits of Organic Food.

Or return to Organic Food For Everyone

Or visit the Organic Food Site-Map