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Expert Q&A
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| By Monica Montag Licensed Nutritionist Process Acupressurist Certified Holistic Lifestyle Teacher Founder, Be Well Associates | ||
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Why should I buy organic?
Organic food is grown without pesticides. It is significantly safer, healthier and more nutritious than non-organic food.
The use of pesticides in farming creates three major problems:
- Many of today's pesticides are "systemic." They are absorbed throughout the plant, rather than just in the peel and cannot be washed off. Strawberries, grapes and potatoes are among the most heavily treated with systemic pesticides.
- Pesticides have a long "half-life" and stay in the soil for 15 years or more after application. Other pesticides accumulate over time, and eventually show up in groundwater, returning to our homes in the water we drink. This makes a good argument for installing a reverse osmosis water purifier or distiller at your kitchen sink and using water that you know is pesticide free. The initial expense is well worth the peace of mind that your family (including pets) is getting pure water rather than toxins in the water supply.
- The creation of a "circle of poison" in which banned pesticides are shipped to Third World countries but return on the produce we buy from them. Beware of juice concentrates from Chile, Argentina, etc. (Check the label. Wal-Mart and Schwann's are two companies that use all American-grown fruit in their juices.)
Organically-grown vegetables are also significantly higher in nutrients. Consider the study from Rutgers University, which compared commercially- vs. organically-grown vegetables. Organically-grown tomatoes had 1300 percent more magnesium, 500 percent more calcium and an amazing 193,000 percent more iron than non-organic. All vegetables showed similarly dramatic differences."
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