Organics for Health

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Organics for Health

A Chapter from the Independent Science Report, The Case for a GM-Free

Sustainable World www.indsp.org

 

Here’s some of the evidence that Sir John Krebs, Head of UK’s Food Standards

Agency refuses to acknowledge in his persistent denigration of organic

agriculture.

Less chemical residues

A comprehensive Soil Association review of scientific research has shown that,

on average, organic food is better for us than non-organic food [1]. First, it

is safer, as organic farming prohibits routine pesticide and herbicide use, so

chemical residues are rarely found. In contrast, non-organic food is likely to

be contaminated with residues that often occur in potentially dangerous

combinations. The British Society for Allergy, Environmental and Nutritional

Medicine states on the back cover of the report: " We have long believed the

micronutrient deficiencies common in our patients have their roots in the

mineral-depletion of soils by intensive agriculture, and suspect that pesticide

exposures are contributing to the alarming rise in allergies and other

illnesses " (italics added).

 

The negative effects of pesticides on health include neurotoxicity, disruption

of the endocrine system, carcinogenicity and immune system suppression. The

impacts of dietary exposure to pesticide residues at levels typically found in

and on food are less easy to establish, but a precautionary approach is

necessary. While there are recommended safety levels for pesticides, the UK

government’s own tests have shown that average residue levels on foods may be

under-reported.

 

Research has also suggested that pesticide exposure affects male reproductive

function, resulting in decreased fertilising ability of the sperm and reduced

fertilisation rates [2]. Correspondingly, members of a Danish organic farmers’

association, whose intake of organic dairy products was at least 50% of total

intake of dairy products, had high sperm density [3]. In another study, sperm

concentration was 43.1% higher among men eating organically produced food [4].

 

Children, in particular, may stand to benefit from organic food. Scientists

monitored preschool children in Seattle, Washington to assess their exposure to

organophosphorus (OP) pesticide from diet [5]. The total dimethyl metabolite

concentration was approximately six times higher for children with conventional

diets than those with organic diets. The calculated dose estimates suggest that

consumption of organic fruits, vegetables and juice can reduce children’s

exposure levels from above to below the US Environmental Protection Agency’s

guidelines, thereby shifting exposures from a range of uncertain risk to a range

of negligible risk. The study concluded that consumption of organic produce

could be a relatively simple way for parents to reduce children’s exposure to OP

pesticides.

Healthier and more nutritious

Additionally, organic food production bans the use of artificial food additives

such as hydrogenated fats, phosphoric acid, aspartame and monosodium glutamate,

which have been linked to health problems as diverse as heart disease,

osteoporosis, migraines and hyperactivity [1].

 

Furthermore, while plants extract a wide range of minerals from the soil,

artificial fertilisers replace only a few principal minerals. There is a clear

long-term decline in the trace mineral content of fruit and vegetables, and the

influence of farming practices needs to be investigated more thoroughly. The

Soil Association review [1] found that on average, organic food has higher

vitamin C, higher mineral levels and higher phytonutrients – plant compounds

that can fight cancer (see later) – than conventional food.

 

Conventional produce also tends to contain more water than organic produce,

which contains more dry matter (on average, 20% more) for a given total weight

[1]. Thus, the higher cost of fresh organic produce is partly offset by

purchasers of conventional produce paying for the extra weight of water and

getting only 83% of the nutrients, on average, available in organic produce. The

higher water content also tends to dilute nutrient content.

 

Tests with people and animals eating organic food show it makes a real

difference to health, and alternative cancer therapies have achieved good

results relying on the exclusive consumption of organic food. The review [1]

cites recent clinical evidence from doctors and nutritionists administering

" alternative " cancer treatments, who have observed that a completely organic

diet is essential for a successful outcome. Nutritional cancer therapies avoid

pollutants and toxins as much as possible, and promote exclusive consumption of

organically grown foods and increases in nutrient intakes. Animal feeding trials

have also demonstrated better reproductive health, better growth, and better

recovery from illness.

 

A literature review of 41 studies and 1 240 comparisons [6] found statistically

significant differences in the nutrient content of organic and conventional

crops. This was attributed primarily to differences in soil fertility management

and its effects on soil ecology and plant metabolism. Organic crops contained

significantly more nutrients -vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus - and

significantly less nitrates (a toxic compound) than conventional crops. There

were non-significant trends showing less protein in organic crops. However,

organic crops were of a better quality and had higher content of nutritionally

significant minerals, with lower amounts of some heavy metals compared to

conventional ones.

Helping fight cancer

Plant phenolics (flavonoids) are plant secondary metabolites thought to protect

plants against insect predation, bacterial and fungal infection and

photo-oxidation. These plant chemicals have been found to be effective in

preventing cancer and heart disease, and to combat age-related neurological

dysfunctions. A recent scientific paper [7, 8] compared the total phenolic (TP)

content of marionberries, strawberries and corn grown by organic and other

sustainable methods with conventional agricultural practices. Statistically

higher levels of TPs were consistently found in organically and sustainably

grown foods as compared to those produced by conventional agriculture.

 

An earlier study comparing antioxidant compounds in organic and conventional

peaches and pears established that an improvement in the antioxidant defence

system of the plants occurred as a consequence of organic cultivation practices

[9]. This is likely to exert protection against fruit damage when grown in the

absence of pesticides. Hence organic agriculture, which eliminates the routine

use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilisers, could create conditions

favourable to the production of health-enhancing plant phenolics.

 

These and many other health benefits of organic foods have been brought to the

attention of the UK government [10, 11]. Among the issues raised are the hidden

costs of conventional agriculture, which are not factored into the price. If

hidden costs were taken into account, conventionally produced food would prove

more expensive than organic food. For example, avoidance of the BSE epidemic

through organic farming would have saved £4.5 billion. No animal born and raised

on an organic farm developed BSE in the UK.

 

Heaton S. Organic farming, food quality and human health: A review of the

evidence, Bristol: Soil Association 2001.

Tielemans E, van Kooij E, te Velde ER, Burdorf A and Heederik D. ‘Pesticide

exposure and decreased fertilisation rates in vitro’, The Lancet 1999, 354,

484-485.

Abell A, Ersnt E and Bonde JP. ‘High sperm density among members of organic

farmers’ association’, The Lancet 1994, 343, 1498.

Jensen TK, Giwercman A, Carlsen E, Scheike T and Skakkebaek NE. ‘Semen

quality among members of organic food associations in Zealand, Denmark’, The

Lancet 1996, 347, 1844.

Curl CL, Fenske RA and Elgethun K. ‘Organophosphorus pesticide exposure of

urban and suburban preschool children with organic and conventional diets’,

Environmental Health Perspectives 2003, 111(3), 377-382.

Worthington V. ‘Nutritional quality of organic versus conventional fruits,

vegetables, and grains’, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

2001, 7(2), 161–173.

Asami DK, Hong YJ, Barrett DM and Mitchell AE. Comparison of the total

phenolic and ascorbic acid content of freeze-dried and air-dried marionberry,

strawberry, and corn grown using conventional, organic, and sustainable

agricultural practices, J. Agric. Food Chem. 2003, 51(5), 1237-1241,

10.1021/jf020635c S0021-8561.

Cummins J. ‘ Organic agriculture helps fight cancer ’, ISIS Report 27 March

2003; also Science in Society Spring 2003, 18 , 18

Carbonaro M, Mattera M, Nicoli S, Bergamo P and Cappelloni M. ‘Modulation of

antioxidant compounds in organic vs conventional fruit (Peach, Prunus persica

L., and Pear, Pyrus communis L.), J. Agric. Food Chem. 2002, 50, 5458-5462.

Novotny E. ‘Report IV - The Wheel of Health’ (in the Chardon LL T25 maize

hearing listings) 2002, http://www.sgr.org.uk/GMOs.html

Novotny E. Letter to MSPs on the Organic Farming Targets Bill, 2003,

http://www.sgr.org.uk/GMOs.html

 

 

 

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