Going Organic to Prevent Cancer
This article was brought to you by Truestar Health: The World's Most Comprehensive Nutrition, Fitness & Healthy Lifestyle Resource
The organic industry is one of the fastest growing natural food industries in North America today. In fact, in 2004, the retail of organic foods exceeded $15 billion dollars and a projected $32 billion dollars is expected by 2009. .This is a 17 to 20 % increase in growth rate in comparison to a 2 to3 % growth that normally occurs in the conventional food industry. Why the dramatic jump in sales? Research is clearly showing that eating organic is healthier, tastier and is likely one of the best ways to prevent future serious diseases such as cancer.
Why go organic? Read on to find out!
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Reason #1 - Reduce your intake of harmful herbicides and pesticides that cause cancer.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 60% of all herbicides (weed killers), 90% of all fungicides (mold killers), and 30% of all insecticides (insect killers) potentially cause cancer. Unfortunately, the usage of herbicides and pesticides is on a rapid rise in our food sources. According to testing carried out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are:
• 3 to 4 than four times more likely on average to contain residues than organic produce;
• 8 to 11 times more likely to contain multiple pesticide residues than organic samples;
• Shown to contain residues at levels 3 to 10 times higher, on average, than corresponding residues in organic samples.
There are over 7,000 different herbicide and pesticide products currently available in Canada. Many of these were approved prior to 1960 when their long-term effects were unknown. Creating a causal link between the increase of various diseases and herbicide/pesticide usage is quite difficult due to the complexities involved such as age of person, combination of chemicals and genetic pre-disposition. However, there is a strong body of evidence linking various cancers (i.e. non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma), asthma and neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s to the increase in usage of herbicides and pesticides. In addition, childhood cancers are also on the rise.
Reason #2 - Protect your children from future disease development.
Children are at higher risk to the effects of herbicides and pesticides due to their smaller body size and faster metabolism. Sadly, in recent years, there has been a rise in childhood illnesses that have been linked to the increase use of herbicides and pesticides such as asthma and cancer. According to the Environmental Working Group, “More than 1 million children between the ages of 1 and 5 ingest at least 15 pesticides every day from fruits and vegetables. More than 600,000 of these children eat a dose of organophosphate insecticides that the federal government considers unsafe, and 61,000 eat doses that exceed benchmark levels by a factor of 10 or more."
Reason # 3 - The quality of nutrition is improved.
According to a review of 41 studies designed to compare the nutritional value of conventional versus organically grown fruits, vegetables and grains, organic produce was nutritionally superior. Specifically, organic crops contained 27% more vitamin C, 21.1% more iron, 29.3% more magnesium and 13% more phosphorus. This improvement in nutritional quality is largely due to the health and richness of the soil.
In another study, disease-fighting chemicals called flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables were significantly higher in organic berries and corn. Flavonoids offer powerful protection against various cancers and allergies.
According to Health Canada, “Organic agriculture is a holistic system of production with a principle goal to develop productive enterprises that are sustainable and harmonious with the environment”. In a nutshell, organic farming is much healthier for the planet because it significantly reduces toxic exposure in our soil, water, air and prevents illness and disease in future generations.
In addition to going organic, it is also important to fill your diet with essential fats, low glycemic index carbohydrates and lean proteins. In order to balance all three of these macronutrients to achieve optimal health, refer to the Truestar Nutrition section and design a meal plan just for you!
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