Organic and quality
Organic food
Organic food has since several years been the focus of attention, again. The European Government aims to increasing the percentage of organic agriculture taking part in total agricultural surface. But what is the surplus value of organic foods, that it exceeds qualities of conventional crops and products like vegetables, fruits, dairy and grain products? I'll try to answer that question in the following sections...
Organic products are recognizable by the quality mark that is visible on the outside of the product. For example, the British Soil Association is the leading campaigning and certification organisation for organic food and farming in GB. Underneath is their quality mark:
Organic crop are grown without the use of artificial fertilizers and chemical pesticides and contain no chemical-synthetical odorants, colorants or flavours or conservatives. Organic agricultural standards are based upon environmental,natural and landscape longevity as well as animal well-being.
In the Netherlands the SKAL organization is the authoritative body on matters of organic quality.
In the United States for example, The United States Department of Agriculture accredits private entities and government agencies to certify organic crop production, livestock production, wild crop harvesting, and handling (processing).
But why organic?
Multiple arguments apply in advantage of choosing organically grown foods. These arguments may include:
you may want to help Mother Nature a hand (less chemical disposal)
animals are treated better than in conventional farms
it tastes better
only healthy and vital crop makes it to the counter
organically grown crop contains more vitamin C, and often also more minerals and antioxidants than conventionally grown crop
there are less residues of pesticides and nitrate than conventionally grown vegetables and fruits (1,2)
By the way, did you know that animals prefer organic products to conventional ones when given the choice? (5)
Organic...does it really contain more vitamins and minerals, or....?
Yes, according to nutritionist Shane Heaton from Australia. He conducted an extensive literature study on this matter, in which he defined strict criteria for the involved companies. For example, only organic production methods were included if they met the certification criteria and were operating 100% organically for prolonged periods of time.
His conclusions: organic products are without exception richer in vitamins and minerals than conventional products. The results are displayed in the following table:
ORGANIC SCORES: Organic products are without exception richer in vitamins and minerals (trace elements) than conventional ones:
Source: combined studies (Heaton)
Vitamin C
Calcium
Chromium
Phosphorus
Iodine
Potassium
Copper
Magnesium
Molybdenium
Selenium
Iron+ 27%
+ 26%
+ 86%
+ 13%
+ 498%
+ 9%
+ 11%
+ 29%
+ 152%
+ 372%
+ 21%There is another factor however, which makes a qualitative difference between organic and conventional food.
Electromagnetic or bio-energetic quality
To measure the bio-energetic or -electrical values of fruit, Kirlian photography is used. This is also the sort of photography that is used when taking shots of someone's aura. When a meditating person is photographed before and after meditation, a miraculous shift is seen in the degree of energetic emissions. This is also somewhat the case in food. The image on the left is a Kirlian photograph of a drop of organic orange juice. The image on the right shows pasteurized, non-organic orange juice. Notice the difference in vitality through emission.
Similar differences appear to be present between cooked or non-cooked foods. On the left image you can see an organic sprout, straight from the package. On the right, the same sprout, but 2-3 minutes blanched at 60 degrees Celsius or 140 degrees Fahrenheit (3).
If heat can exert such effects on the energetic quality of food, what influence then may a microwave oven have on the energy and constitution of vegetables, meat etcetera...?
Decrease of nutritional value of vegetables and fruits
What is the nutritional value of vegetables? This question was answered by R.A. McCance and E.M. Widowson in 1940 in a study by order of the Medical Research Council. In 1991 the same research question came on their path, this time via the former British Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Royal Society of Chemistry. See the differences in the table below (4).
Food
Loss between 1940-1991
Potatoes
-35 % calcium (Ca)
-45% iron (Fe)
-47% copper (Cu)
-30% magnesium (Mg)
Spring onion
-74% calcium
Broccoli (cooked)
-46% iron
-75% copper
Cabbage
-71% iron
Spinach (cooked)
-60% iron
-96% copper
Water cress
-93% copper
Carrots
-48% calcium
-75% magnesium
Farmland quality has drastically decreased in the past century. The main culprit is probably artificial fertilizer (AF). AF is a blend of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). It's true that it facilitates the rapid growth of crop, but it also compromises levels of vital building blocks. It's true that organic products derive from farmlands where there is no use of AF, but that doesn't guarantee that the soil is rich in minerals.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) concluded that AF contributes to a "serious shortage" in minerals. Other studies conclude that since 1985 the amount of vitamins and minerals decreased 60% in beans, 70% in potatoes and 80% in apples. In 1900, wheat consisted for 90% of proteins, now it keeps only 9%. Today, you'd have to eat 10 slices of bread to reach the same intake of proteins from bread. Popeye would have to eat 200 cans of spinach to get the iron that he used to get out of one can only in the old days! (4)
Vitamin pills
I don't fancy technical tricks and science fiction to maintain my bodily health, I prefer REAL. But in the light of the growing decrease of our vegetable's nutritional values and the cumulating toxic environmental load, I deem the preventive application of vitamin pills a good choice. Unless not exaggerated of course...
I personally think a well balanced vitamin supplement can prevent a lot of misery or ameliorate a bad situation.
Please check your local drugstore or the web to find a well balanced vitamin supplement if you feel to use one.
Sources
http://www.kirlian.com/currentkirlian.htm 25 October 2005
Ode, nr. 79; September 2005,p. 43 (from "What Doctors Don't Tell You", December 2002)
Holmboe-Ottesen G. Better health with ecologic food? Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2004 Jun 3;124(11):1529-31 (review)
