Guest guest Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 > " HSI - Jenny Thompson " > <HSIResearch > Home Grown > Tue, 27 Jul 2004 09:55:59 -0400 > > Home Grown > > Health Sciences Institute e-Alert > > Tuesday July 27, 2004 > > ************************************************************** > Dear Reader, > > If you dropped by your local grocery store or fresh > produce stand > after I sent you the USDA's list of top 20 > antioxidant-rich foods > (see the e-Alert " Tonight's Top 20 " 7/20/04), you > might have been > offered a choice: organic or non-organic. > > In terms of health, the choice is clear. But that > doesn't mean it's an > easy choice. > > If you're like me, every week you brace yourself for > that shocking > moment when the cashier at the grocery store hits > the " total " > button and you try not to yelp out loud. So I'm > always looking for > ways to reduce my grocery bill, not increase it. But > there's no > getting around the fact that if you buy organic > rather than non- > organic, you'll almost certainly end up spending > more. > > So is it worth the markup? Ultimately, that's a > personal decision. > But to help answer that question, let's take a look > at a report on > organic foods, recently published in " Coronary and > Diabetic Care > in the UK 2004. " > > - > Pest control > - > > The organic foods report (prepared by the Soil > Association – the > UK's counterpart to the USDA) addressed eight key > topics of food > cultivation, processing and nutritional content, > starting with > pesticides. > > This is probably the main element that most people > associate with > organic foods: that they're pesticide-free. What's > not so well > known is the connection between pesticide use and > the antioxidant > content of food. > > In the e-Alert " Quite Contrary " (3/27/03), I told > you how crops > that are stressed by insects produce polyphenolic > compounds, > which are naturally potent antioxidants. But crops > that are treated > with pesticides don't need the natural protection of > polyphenolics, > and produce less of the compounds. So when crops are > denied > pesticides, consumers get a double benefit: better > nutrition without > the residue of chemical pesticides in the food. > > The UK report noted that pesticide use has been > associated with a > variety of health risks, including cancer, fetal > abnormalities, > chronic fatigue, and Parkinson's disease. One study > revealed that > women with breast cancer are five to nine times more > likely to > have traces of pesticides in their blood than women > who don't > have the cancer. > > ------------------------------- > Additives out > ------------------------------- > > Organic foods are free of food additives such as > MSG, > hydrogenated fats, and artificial sweeteners and > coloring, which > have been associated with a risk of asthma, > headaches, growth > retardation, and hyperactivity in children. These > additives have > also been linked to the development of allergies – > another of the > key elements of the UK report. > > Genetically modified (GM) organisms are also not > allowed in the > production of organic food. The report notes that > only ten studies > of GM foods have been conducted. Among those, the > ones that > were completely independent of funding or input from > companies > with GM affiliations found evidence of harmful > effects in the gut > lining of humans. > > The report cautions that until GM crops and food > products are > properly tested, " people are, in our opinion, wise > to avoid eating > GM food. " > > > High C > > > Besides the obvious benefits of not ingesting > pesticides, additives, > and GM organisms, organic foods have been found to > be more > nutritious than conventionally grown foods. The Soil > Association > conducted a study to compare the vitamin and mineral > content of > organic foods vs. non-organic foods. The organics > won out with > higher levels in all 21 of the examined nutrients. > > The vitamin C and magnesium levels in the organic > foods were 27 > percent and 29 percent higher, respectively, > compared to the non- > organic samples. And minerals were found to be > significantly > higher in organic spinach, potatoes, cabbage, and > lettuce. > > Similar results were reported in tests of organic > livestock animals > that foraged for fresh food compared to livestock > that was given > processed feed. The organic livestock had higher > concentrations of > omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid > (CLA) – two key > nutrients whose value is well known to HSI members. > > > > Coming around > > > For several years, the UK's Food Standards Agency > (FSA) didn't > officially recognize any difference between organic > foods and > conventionally grown foods. But the UK organic food > report > indicates that the official view may be changing. At > a public > meeting last year, Sir John Krebs, the Chair of the > FSA, admitted > that organic food contains fewer residues of > pesticides than foods > grown by conventional means. > > So if you're fortunate enough to have access to > fresh, organically > grown produce, the next time you're given the choice > between > lower priced conventionally grown food or higher > priced organic, > just ask yourself: Which would Sir John buy? > > ************************************************************** > ...and another thing > > Is pizza health food? > > According to a recent study from (where else?) > Italy, pizza intake > may significantly reduce the risk of a second heart > attack, even > among people who are overweight smokers who get no > exercise. > > But before you reach for the phone to cancel your > gym > membership and put Domino's on speed dial, you > should know > that pizza really isn't health food, but one of > pizza's ingredients is. > > In the Italian study, about 500 heart attack > patients, and about 480 > subjects who reported no heart problems, filled out > dietary and > lifestyle questionnaires. Researchers found that > eating 14 ounces of > pizza each week reduced heart attack risk by well > over 50 percent. > > But a pizza in Milan is not the same as a pizza in > Milwaukee. > > Italians generally make their pizza with a thin > crust and just a > sprinkling of mozzarella cheese. An entire pizza > tops out at about > 800 calories. In the U.S., the typical pizza has > thick, doughy crust > and quite a bit more cheese. So a Yankee pizza has > well over > double the total calories of the Italiano pie. > > Nevertheless, both pizzas deliver one key nutrient: > lycopene. > (Tomato sauce is rich in lycopene.) > > In the e-Alert " Icing the Pizza " (7/30/03), I told > you about another > Italian study that showed how pizza intake might > reduce cancer > risk. Again, lycopene was most likely responsible > for the healthy > effect. > > As most HSI members are aware, lycopene is a potent > antioxidant, > known to offer cancer fighting benefits, as well as > protection from > heart disease. And one of the interesting > characteristics of lycopene > is that it appears to be better absorbed when it's > heated, and eating > it with fats further helps the absorption. > > So the formula to pizza's remarkable health > qualities is suspected > to go something like this: Lycopene + cheese + heat > = lower heart > attack and cancer risk. > > And it should be noted (and underlined) that in both > studies, health > benefits came with a moderate pizza intake; just a > couple of slices > each week. > > I wonder if Domino's would deliver HALF a pizza? > > To Your Good Health, > > Jenny Thompson > Health Sciences Institute > > ************************************************************** > Sources: > " Organic Foods in Relation to Nutrition and Health > Key Facts " > Medical News Today, 7/11/04, medicalnewstoday.com > " Pizza and Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction " > European Journal > of Clinical Nutrition, May 2004, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov > " Prevent Heart Attacks – With Pizza? " Maureen > Williams, ND, > Healthnotes Newswire, 7/15/04, pccnaturalmarkets.com > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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