MORE FACTS..
- What makes organic food better for me and my family?
- Are there studies that have substantiated the claims of the organic industry?
- What's the difference between a conventional chicken and a certified organic chicken?
Macro
has done some homework... if you are a discerning customer and want to
know more about why there's a vital place for this seachange in the way
we eat and live, then this is the section for you.
The organic industry in Australia - at a glance
(based on BFA Annual Report 2004)
Why Go Organic?
Nutrition and Health
Taste The Fight Against Cancer
Organic Farming & Environmental Issues
Child Development
Certified Organic Chicken
Some key facts:
An international study
shows that chemical farming has removed an average of 40% of the vital
nutrients originally found in the vegetables our grandparents ate, has
removed 29% of of the vital ingredients originally found in their meat
and removed 20% of the vital nutrients originally found in their fruit.
"1940 vs 1990' McCance and Widdowson, 1940; 1991, "The Composition of Food', RSC, MAFF.
The affects of pesticides on human health is
extreme - and is linked to illnesses such as cancer, reproductive
problems and neurological disease.
'Systematic Review of Pesticides Human Health Effects' (OCFP's report), Ontario College of Family Physicians in Canada (OCFP)
Exposure to pesticides may increase parental risk of infertility and threaten pregnancy outcomes.
Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 112, pages 703-709 (2004)
'Richard M. Sharpe, research physiologist with
the Medical Research Council in Edinburgh, hypothesised that oestrogens
in the environment (includes any chemical that can mimic hormones eg
pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and solvents) can disrupt the
body's hormonal balance, possibly explaining phenomena such as early
puberty, lowered sperm counts and other reproductive anomalies
exhibited by late 20th century females and males of any species.
Dr Sandra Cabot - www.liverdoctor.com
80 per cent of all cancers are connected, directly or indirectly, to environmental factors and are therefore preventable.
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organisation
An Australian study shows that Australian
mothers are transferring invisible pesticides and organochlorines to
their babies via their breast milk. These chemicals come from the fruit
and vegetables they consume as part of their so-called healthy diet.
"Persistence of Organochlorines in Breast Milk of Women in Victoria, Australia" Ed Chem Toxic Vol.33. No 1 pp.49 - 56, 1995, PM Quinsey, DC Donohue & JT Ahokas.
Organically grown foods have higher
cancer-fighting chemicals than conventionally grown foods. Fruits and
veggies grown organically show significantly higher levels of
cancer-fighting antioxidants than conventionally grown foods, according
to a new study of corn, strawberries and marionberries. The research
suggests that pesticides and herbicides actually thwart the production
of phenolics chemicals that act as a plant's natural defense and also
happen to be good for our health. Fertilizers, however, seem to boost
the levels of anti-cancer compounds.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, American Chemical Society (the world's largest scientific society) Feb. 26, 2003
Organic milk contains two thirds more omega-3
essential fatty acids than conventionally produced milk. Dr Richard
Dewhurst reported that milk samples from organic cows contained at
least 64% more omega-3 fatty acids.
Journal of Dairy Science published by researchers at the Institute of Grassland and Environment , Aberystwyth, Wales.
After studying
8,000 subjects over 34 years of observation, researchers at the
University of Honolulu found that that increased fruit and fruit drink
consumption predicted an increased Parkinson's risk, after adjusting
for other known risk factors. "We speculate that this increased risk
may be due to plant borne toxins, pesticides or herbicides, rather than
the fruit itself".
Pesticides and toxins linked to Parkinson's Disease, Andrew Grandi, University of Honolulu.
There are claims that organic food is expensive, yet Australians
spend more than twice as much each week on junk food and fast food
combined, than they do on fruit and vegetables.
Average Weekly
Household Spending, ABS 2000 (selected categories)
What does 'organic' mean? ... and other definitions
|
