Adams Ali Adams Roger Austin English 1101 26 November 2012 Why To Choose Organic

Organic foods are a specific category of food widely understood and viewed as food grown without chemicals, preservatives, hormones or any additive. No pesticides are used and absolutely nothing additional is added to any particular food. Throughout the last twenty years the consumption, advertisement and rise of organic food in the United States has risen dramatically due to the onset knowledge of the hazards of chemicals and other additives (Hanlon 60). Organic sales have begun to grow faster than any other fad or segment in the food industry. Sales in the United States over the past five years have topped 16.3 billion and only continue to rise (Bravata 348). Throughout the 21st century knowledge of the effects of food on the body have become more of an awareness through education, publicity and the onset of food related illnesses. Americas food related illness rates are at an all time high (Hanlon 61). Through curiosity and necessity, the US population is beginning to understand the importance of food. In order to prevent illness, sustain health and inhibit longer life expectancies, hormone injected, chemically laced, preservative filled food must stay clear from the human body and allow for pure, organic food to become a staple in the everyday diet. Though there are numerous advantages and positive aspects for living an organic lifestyle, many people still do not partake down the healthy path. Despite the fact that organic food is significantly more expensive, many people feel that there is not enough evidence to support the hypothesis that organic food is healthier, safer and more nutritionally affective

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compared to processed, conventional food (Bravata 366). Science and experiments seem to be lacking the solution that society wants to know: a definitive answer. Until a theory is hypothesized, tested, retested and confirmed, people will continue to have hesitations on transferring to a more expensive, healthier lifestyle. However, there are sufficient amounts of research and case studies that have been performed to give evidence on the dangers of processed, chemicalized foods and shown the advantages to the body on pure, organic food that cannot be denied (Hanlon 62). For the past decades news has mainly been focused on the effects of saturated fats, sugar, and cholesterol on the obesity of this generation. However, recently, the news on the effects of chemically injected food has started to become acknowledged by society as a growing epidemic and serious problem, like obesity. According to a recent study in the journal of the American Medical Association, for the first time in over 200 years, children may have life expectancies shorter than their parents chronic illnesses of all kinds are now appearing in astronomical rates (Blaylock). Such illnesses, though not proven, could be linked to the extensive amount of fillers injected into conventional food. Chemicals, added for supposedly viable reasons such as enhanced taste and longer shelf life are only deteriorating the human body as a whole. Chemicals like pesticides, steroids, preservatives, artificial additives and hormones are all toxins depleting the health of humans at an on- going rate. The AMA journal later goes on to say, What doesnt kill you makes you weaker. Childhood asthma has increased over 200 percent, the aforementioned rate of obesity is up 400 percent and neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and autism has gone through the roof during the past 30 years (Blaylock). Critics would argue that there is no definite correlation regarding the rise of sickness to the type of food

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consumed, however, studies and new knowledge on the dangers of these additives are providing evidence to the on-going deterioration of each generation. In 2001 the United States accounted for 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides, topping the amount ever been accumulated in American history (Crinnion 4). Pesticides are used to prevent food harm and to keep insects out of the food. However, according to food health experts, these chemicals are more harmful than the actual insects would be to the food (Crinnion 6). Long-term pesticide usage has been linked to neurological damage, endocrine and reproductive disorders. Exposure to these potent chemicals has caused such problems in the human body over the past years that scientists have begun to dig deeper into the negatives of pesticide usage (Crinnion 9). Undeniably, the use of pesticides is for the wellbeing of society, but this is coming at a cost for health in order to keep pests away from food. Research has begun to look into the dangers of pesticides versus the positive and negatives of organic farming. Undoubtedly, the body reacts positively almost immediately after pesticides leave the diet. The amount of detectable pesticide residues in human urine drops immediately after switching to an organic diet (Chengsheng 260). The urinary system clears up and the toxins are released from the body as waste instead of continuing to harbor in the digestive tract. Organic farming lacks the use of these mixed chemicals and thus is just pure food. Speculators question how organic food is protected from pests, but the answer is simple. Helpful bugs, such as parasitic wasps can scare many harmful insects not wanted on food away. Other farming techniques such as all-natural herbs and repellants can keep bugs away while still keeping the produce pesticide free and organically healthy (Hanlon 262). It is believed that the use of chemicals is the only way to keep food pestfree, but this has proven inaccurate due to organic environmental protections.

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On average 32.5 million cattle are slaughtered every year in the United States. Scientists believe that approximately two-thirds of the cattle are injected with hormones to make them grow faster, enhance the taste and enhance the size of the meat produced. Hormones and steroids are forced into animals diets, which manifest in disease in the animal, food produced and eventually in the human that consumes it. According to the Europeans Union Scientific Committee on Veterinary Measures Relating to Public Health, The use of six growth hormones in beef production posses a potential risk to human health (Snedker). The three most dangerous, synthetic hormones include Zeranol, Trenbolone, and Melengestrol. Scientists have discovered that the hormone additives in meat produce hormone abnormalities in humans, causing developmental problems and increased risk of diseases such as cancer as well as compromises in the digestive system as a whole. Apart from hormones, on average, 3,000 additives approved by the FDA are added into non- organic meat. In addition, antibiotics are given to animals from birth to death to compensate the poor living conditions in order to make sure sickness does not spread like wildfire. Certified organic food does not have any hormones, additives or antibiotics injected into them. Animals that produce organic meat almost always have better living conditions, are fed proper food and given the necessities to produce diseasefree meat. Though non-organic meat is cheaper and easier to come by, it is not a trade off for manifested sickness in humans (Snedker). Despite the negative aspects of additives in non-organic food, organic food has proven to be richer in vitamins, mineral and anti-cancer prevention abilities. Regarding minerals, organic food has been discovered to have twenty-one percent more iron and twenty-nine percent more magnesium than non-organic foods. Vitamins are also in more abundance in organic food, rendering higher levels of ascorbic acid, magnesium and phosphorus. Non- organic food lacks

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the proper nutrients to have any health benefits for the human body and instead artificial fillers are added producing negative affects rather than positive attributes (Crinnion 5). Since organically raised food typically has higher levels of health- promoting phytonutrients and certain residues they provide health benefits far above what conventional food can provide. In order to increase the proper nutrients and vitamins that the human body needs to survive, organic food needs to become a staple in the everyday American diet. The University of California did a study using tomatoes as the experimental variable and the results came to show that organic tomatoes had higher levels of iron, magnesium, Vitamin C, and phosphorus compared to the same type of tomato minus its organic attributes (Crinnion 6). According to Charles Benbrook, a research professor at the University of Washington State Universitys Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Resources in Pullman, organically farmed food has more beneficial compounds than conventional food due to the stronger natural defenses of organic food compared to the depletion of vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols in conventional plants. Because pesticides arent used in organic fields, organic food must learn how to fight off insects naturally rather than chemically. As a result, their natural defense mechanisms are turned on earlier and more fully manifest themselves having higher concentrations of defensive compounds that keep us healthier (Benbrook). Due to the lack of additives, organic food has a substantial amount of nutrients and cancer- fighting properties, far-exceeding conventional food that poses as much healthier for the body than its non-organic equal. For instance, a study done on strawberries showed that for both cancer cell lines the extracts of organic berries were more potent in reducing cellular proliferation than conventional strawberries (Crinnion 9). Studies have proven the increased nutritional content throughout organic food and even begun to test and discover disease-fighting attributes in organic food compared to conventional food. Conventional food not

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only has less nutrients, and does not have disease prevention, but actually may be a culprit of causing or prolonging certain illnesses. By definition, organic refers to a system of production, distribution and sales that assures consumer products remain free of synthetic chemicals, preservatives or other additives (Hanlon 60). With increased minerals, vitamins, disease fighting attributes and lowered chances for illnesses, and other health issues, organic food needs to be implemented into the American diet. Organic food, though its demand has been increasing throughout the years, still needs to become more of a way of life rather than just a short-lived trend to attempt to stay healthy. Though there is not definitive results stating if organic food is better or not, the amount of studies and experiments done does show that organic food has higher levels of minerals, vitamins and no amounts of artificial additives proven to be unhealthy for the human body. With diminished fillers and more pure, hormone, preservative and chemically free food, the idea that organic food is much healthier has started to become more of an accepted idea.

Adams Work Cited Crinnion, Walter. Organic Foods Contain Higher Levels of Certain Nutrients, Lower

Levels of Pesticides, and May Provide Health Benefits for the Consumer. Alternative Medicine Review 15.1 (2010): 4-12. Print. Hanlon, Phylis. Kick Chemicals to the Curb: Choose Organic. Massage Magazine Mar. 2012: 60-66. Print. Smith-Spangler, CrystalBrandeau, Margaret L.Hunter, Grace E.Bavinger, J. ClayPearson, MarenEschbach, Paul J.Sundaram, VandanaHau LiuSchirmer, PatriciaStave, ChristopherOlkin, IngramBravata, Dena M. "Are Organic Foods Safer Or Healthier Than Conventional Alternatives?." Annals Of Internal Medicine 157.5 (2012): 348. Advanced Placement Source. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. Ghandi, Renu, Snedeker, Suzanne. Consumer Concerns about Hormones in Food. The Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Factors at Cornell University. Web. 2003. Chengsheng, Lu, Kathryn Toepel, Rene Irish, Richard A. Fenske, Dana B. Barr, Roberto Bravo. Organic Diets Significantly Lower Childrens Dietary Exposure to Organophosphorus Pesticides. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health 114.2 (2005): 260-263. Web. Blaylock, Russell. Food Additives: What you Eat Can Kill You. Blaylock Wellness Report 4.10 (2007). Web. Benbrook, Charles. Interview with Charles Benbrook. Nutrition Action Health Letter 39.8 (2012): 3-7. Print.