FW: important article/tomatoes, apples, potatos, salmon etc.....

[Guest guest]

 

 

7 Foods That

Should Never Cross Your Lips

 

 

 

 

Corbis

Provided by Prevention

 

Clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables and meats that are raised, grown

and sold with minimal processing. Often they're organic, and rarely (if ever)

should they contain additives. But in some cases, the methods of today's food

producers are neither clean nor sustainable. The result is damage to our

health, the environment, or both. So we decided to take a fresh look at food

through the eyes of the people who spend their lives uncovering what's safe --

or not -- to eat. We asked them a simple question: " What foods do you

avoid? " Their answers don't necessarily make up a " banned foods "

list. But reaching for the suggested alternatives might bring you better health

-- and peace of mind.

 

The Endocrinologist Won't Eat Canned Tomatoes

 

Fredrick Vom Saal, Ph.D., is an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri

who studies bisphenol-A.

 

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic

estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to

heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent

characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show

that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm

production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. " You can

get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is

going to impact people, particularly the young, " says Vom Saal. " I

won't go near canned tomatoes. "

 

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin

linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several

types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi.

 

Budget tip: If your recipe allows, substitute bottled pasta sauce for canned

tomatoes. Look for pasta sauces with low sodium and few added ingredients, or

you may have to adjust the recipe.

 

The Farmer Won't Eat Corn-Fed Beef

 

Joel Salatin is co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on

sustainable farming.

 

The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed

their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for

slaughter. But more money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery

store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study

conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that

compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin

E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium and potassium;

lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been

linked to heart disease. " We need to respect the fact that cows are

herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure, "

says Salatin.

 

The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers,

farmers' markets and nationally at Whole Foods. It's usually labeled because it

demands a premium, but if you don't see it, ask your butcher.

 

Budget tip: Cuts on the bone are cheaper because processors charge extra for

deboning. You can also buy direct from a local farmer, which can be as cheap as

$5 per pound. To find a farmer near you, search eatwild.com.

 

The Toxicologist Won't Eat Microwave Popcorn

 

Olga Naidenko, Ph.D., is a senior scientist for the Environmental Working

Group.

 

The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining

of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility

in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the

chemicals cause liver, testicular and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that

microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize -- and migrate into your popcorn.

" They stay in your body for years and accumulate there, " says

Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach

the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other

manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA

plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.

 

The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For

flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed,

vegetable flakes or soup mix.

 

Budget tip: Popping your own popcorn is dirt cheap.

 

The Farm Director Won't Eat Nonorganic Potatoes

 

Jeffrey Moyer is the chair of the National Organic Standards Board.

 

The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that

wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes -- the nation's most popular vegetable

-- they're treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with

herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug

up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting.

" Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get

it to sprout. It won't, " says Moyer, who is also farm director of the

Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention).

" I've talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat

the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for

themselves without all the chemicals. "

 

The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn't good enough if you're trying

to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

 

Budget tip: Organic potatoes are only $1 to $2 a pound, slightly more expensive

than conventional spuds.

 

The Fisheries Expert Won't Eat Farmed Salmon

 

David Carpenter, M.D., director of the Institute for Health and the Environment

at the University at Albany, published a major study in the journal Science on

contamination in fish.

 

The problem: Nature didn't intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed

soy, poultry litter and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon

is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs,

brominated flame retardants and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to

Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be

found on American menus. " You could eat one of these salmon dinners every

5 months without increasing your risk of cancer, " says Carpenter, whose

2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. " It's that

bad. " Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but

some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There

is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to

treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs

and chemicals.

 

The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh

Atlantic, it's farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic

salmon.

 

Budget tip: Canned salmon, almost exclusively from wild catch, can be found for

as little as $3 a can.

 

The Cancer Researcher Won't Drink Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones

 

Rick North is project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon

Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of

the American Cancer Society.

 

The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine

growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production.

But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also

leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk.

In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate and colon

cancers. " When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1

from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract, " says North.

As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several

independent studies. " There's not 100 percent proof that this is

increasing cancer in humans, " admits North. " However, it's banned in

most industrialized countries. "

 

The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without

artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free

products.

 

Budget tip: Try Wal-Mart's Great Value label, which does not use rBGH.

 

The Organic-Foods Expert Won't Eat Conventional Apples

 

Mark Kastel, a former executive for agribusiness, is codirector of the

Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic

foods.

 

The problem: If fall fruits held a " most doused in pesticides

contest, " apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended

from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As

such, apples don't develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The

industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters

that it's just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused

produce, like apples. " Farm workers have higher rates of many

cancers, " he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link

a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson's disease.

 

The solution: Buy organic apples.

 

Budget tip: If you can't afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them. But

Kastel personally refuses to compromise. " I would rather see the trade-off

being that I don't buy that expensive electronic gadget, " he says.

" Just a few of these decisions will accommodate an organic diet for a

family. "