The average person in America living on a non organic diet is exposed to nearly 10,000 pounds of chemical additives and preservatives by the time they reach age 65. Now, most people who don’t believe in eating organic food will claim that chemicals in food are in such small amounts that they wont hurt us. Every person has a different perspective on what a ‘’small amount” might be, but I can hardly think that anyone would admit that 10,000 pounds is a small amount. Medical Doctor Joan Morgan points out that ”Last year each of us, on average, swallowed three pounds of flavorings, coloring, preservatives, glazes, anti spattering agents, emulsifiers, bleaches, and other additives with our food.”

Chemicals such as additives, pesticides, and preservatives are believed to interfere with healthy enzyme activity. Enzymes are molecules that are responsible for making sure cellular processes are carried out properly and effectively. Most vitamins themselves are parts of enzymes. Once the body consumes a vitamin, the vitamin usually comes together with other vitamins, minerals and molecular structures to form a fully functioning enzyme.

The bad news is that the body doesn’t really ignore some substances and react to others. Most people think this is true but human cells don’t casually turn away and ignore chemical additives, and only become chummy with the nutrients. Non organic food has chemicals mixed into the molecular structure of the food. If chemicals weren’t distributed throughout the molecular structure there wouldn’t be any point to using them. The EU cancer prevention organization admitted in June 2009 that they were looking to prevent cancer by controlling all aspects of chemical contact with the human body. Countries such as Norway, Sweden and Germany have already banned the use of several food dyes and colorings that are still in use in the U.S. Other European countries are also cracking down and banning more and more chemical additives and preservatives.

Many people still argue that the health benefits of eating organic food don’t exist, but people seem to be ignoring those arguments because there are alot of positives that circulate around organic food. Here are some benefits of going organic:

1. Organic and bio dynamic farmers use methods that don’t strip the soil nearly as much as conventional methods do. Their methods differ from conventional ones because they give back to the soil nutrient quality. This is very important to keeping the soil nutrient rich, which will keep our produce nutrient rich.
2. Little to no pesticide residue. There has been evidence linking pesticides to harmful effects on the body.
3. Eating organic supports and maintains a healthy digestive tract because processed foods have been stripped of the natural fiber responsible for making a person have regular bowel movements.
4. Overall better health because the previously mentioned benefits will help support and maintain good health.

So is organic food beneficial to the individual? The answer is yes. The issue of whether they are more nutritious leads to a rather nasty, heated debate most of the time, but I will say that studies conducted in the UK and several European scientific institutions did find higher amounts of nutrients in organic food than regular food. The studies were made known to the public in a Times Online UK article in 2007. But in the end it really boils down to a matter of choice when is comes to making the change.Despite the naysayers and their passionate attempts to claim that organic food is worthless, the amount of people consuming organic food and raising a family on it seems to be growing with tremendous strength and speed.

So what do you do you live the organic lifestyle or continue on non organic food? Well here are some common concerns about organic food:

What does organic mean anyway?

The term ”Organic” means different things in different countries because it is up to the country to decide what the guidelines and regulations will be. The guidelines that you will see in most countries consist of food that does not contain GMOs, synthetic ingredients, and little to no processing.

What is a GMO?

Genetically Modified Organism. There are many reasons why farmers do this such as injecting genes into a crop so the crop will produce pesticides on its own. Many people are wary of this because they feel it is playing with fire. Genetics tend to be very unforgiving and hard to beat if something goes wrong. Many people do not think it is safe to consume GMOs, and in Europe the regulations on GMOs is extremely tight. Some countries in Europe have banned GMOs in many food areas.

Do organic farmers use pesticides at all?

The regulations on organic farming forbid the use of synthetic pesticides, but if pests do become a problem some organic farmers use natural pesticides.

But don’t pests always become a problem in farming?

Sometimes pests are a problem and sometimes they aren’t. There are things that can be done to get rid of pests that don’t include man made chemicals.. Organic farmers use methods in harmony with nature to prevent pests. An example of this would be to use a bug that doesn’t do any harm to the crop but is a predator to the pests that are becoming a problem. They mainly focus on prevention and on making healthy soil and crops that can be strong enough to use their natural defenses to fight off pests. Barriers of various types are used as well.

But are organic pesticides necessarily safe?

Organic pesticides, or natural pesticides are usually seen as a weakness and an attacking point against organic food. What most don’t know is that organic farmers don’t use them frequently, and if pests get out of control organic farmers must get permission to use a natural/botanical pesticide from the list. Natural pesticides are also attacked by being said to be as harmful as the synthetic ones, but natural pesticides don’t actually linger like synthetic ones do, and therefore don’t have much chance to become absorbed into crops. Most are derived from plants.

But just because something is natural does it mean it is safe?

No. Some natural substances are safe and some aren’t. I hate this question because my friends would always tell me whenever I did a detox or something to ”remember that just because something is natural doesn’t mean it is healthy” as if I was going to go out and smear some cow poop on my face, or I was going to go dig up some poison ivy leaves and use them on my acne or something. I and many people who live organic find this warning to be insulting because we understand that many substances deemed as natural sold on selves are not dangerous in any way and we aren’t going to go out and randomly cook up unknown substances in out kitchens. That is very much not the case. People need to understand that I as well as many organic lovers don’t just buy things without researching it first.

What else can one buy that is organic outside of produce?

Meat, milk, pasta, rice, cheese, spices, juices, chocolate, wine, bread, potato chips, soda, skin care, clothing, pet food, baby food, canned soup, tampons, sanitary napkins, vitamins, supplements, shampoo, cooking oils, condiments, cake mix, brownie mix, sugar, honey, makeup, cleaning products, and the list goes on and on and on. Going organic doesn’t mean you will end up living drastically different from everyone else.

How can one tell if something is organic?

This pretty much goes across the board from food to skincare. 100% organic is the jackpot, things labeled as organic with the USDA seal are 95% organic, and anything else that claims to be organic but doesn’t have the seal is made with organic ingredients but not necessarily free of synthetic ingredients.

What is the plus side of buying organic meat?

No hormones or antibiotics are injected in meat, and the animals are only allowed to eat organic food and are allowed to roam around freely and live a healthy life.

Are the organic farmers trustworthy or are they just out to make a profit by falsely appealing to people’s health fears?

I can’t see why any organic farmers would cheat the system because it is certainly too much work on their behalf to become legally certified organic and maintain that status. With everything there is always a wolf in sheep clothing, but for the most part organic farmers don’t have a choice but to be legit because the ”man from the health department” makes a visit to them as well.

Why is organic so expensive?

Some things such as apples are produced in high numbers and don’t cost that much to buy organic. Mainly the exotic fruits that are difficult to grow in the area costs more to get. Also organic products have high standards to meet and the costs usually deal with having things managed properly. Lately its been discussed that organic farming doesn’t actually cost any more than conventional.

Why do people eat organic food in the first place?

Many believe there are tremendous health benefits from eating organic food. The low volume of toxins in organic food is attracting all types of people because many are worried that synthetic chemicals may be responsible for the frighteningly high amount of cancer.

How much influence does organic food have in the rest of the world?

In a lot of countries much of the food is automatically organic because those people don’t really use modern practices when it comes to food. In some of these countries there are some conventional foods available as well. China and Japan have a bustling organic industry, which has contributed to some controversy over the quality of their organic food. Europe is probably the most aggressive in terms of their organic food. Their standards can probably be considered tighter than America, so organic food from Europe is probably better in terms of purity. Italy accounts for 1/3 of the organic food in Europe alone, and most Italians consume a considerable amount of organic food on a daily basis.

Britain has a very high demand for organic now, and France alone brought around 300 new skincare lines last year. In countries like Sweden, Norway, and Germany have banned a number of commonly used additives and food dyes already. Scientists in the EU have done multiple studies and will continue to do studies concerning the toxicity of our bodies and the link to cancer.

So in the end the decision to go organic is entirely up to the individuals preferences and beliefs as to whether there are any health benefits from eating organic food.

There is a strong suspicion that chemicals are responsible for making our bodies toxic and are responsible for the current overflow of cancer. Toxins are believed to cause damage to key enzymes, which would lead to multiple health problems. It is also being studied and verified that synthetic chemicals cause disruption of hormone production and function. These findings are responsible for the growing number of people who search for purity when looking for something to put in their stomachs and on their skin. In June 2009 the European Commission’s Communication on Cancer revealed that they have acknowledged that there are too many environmental factors such as food chemicals and chemicals in air and water that need to be addressed in order to prevent cancer.

The European Parliament noted that ” the increasing scientific evidence that certain cancers, such as cancer of the bladder, bone cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, breast cancer and others are caused not only by the effects of chemical substances, radiation, and airborne particles, but also by other environmental factors”. The European Parliament also believes that there are many cancer cases directly related to pesticides. The European scientists in support of reducing human exposure to chemicals are also backed by US experts as well. Several organizations are working to reduce the amount of man made chemicals in food, especially ones that can interfere with hormones. Many of these chemicals are used as food additives as well as ingredients in body care products and cosmetics. Since the skin absorbs around 64% of what is placed on it, skin care has gained everyone’s attention.

In France alone last year alone over 300 new organic skincare lines were introduced to the market, even though the demand for organic skincare is higher in Britain. Though Britain does not live as natural as many other European countries such as Italy and Spain but is surely on its way to catching up. The EU cosmetic industry recently came up with a list of substances that were deemed as unsafe ingredients. Some of those ingredients are still in use in American based cosmetic brands. As far as food is concerned, many dyes and colorings used in food are up for debate as well, but countries such as Norway and Sweden have already banned the use of many common food dyes. The rest of the EU members are also banning more and more food additives that are still in use in America.

Americans and Europeans alike are buying more organic food and organic skincare than ever because they feel that it is a safer option.Organic food regulations are somewhat more strict than regular food due to labeling laws. Anything that hasn’t met the guidelines cannot be labeled organic. Non organic food is made with synthetic pesticides, multiple preservatives,additives, and some produce is genetically modified. Organic items are not allowed to be genetically modified, and most preservatives can’t be used in food or items labeled organic. Things that are labeled 100% organic are well sought after because they virtually have no chemicals or questionable substances in the mix, which is one of the main health benefits of eating organic food. Organic produce has nearly untraceable amounts of pesticides, which makes consumers looking to be healthy very happy.