tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3590966175110441391.post781422688180102397..comments2023-06-26T03:08:40.549-07:00Comments on Tomorrow's Table: Is Organically grown food 40% more nutritious?Pamela Ronaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08905736049638342587noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3590966175110441391.post-78399894212923077002008-05-28T11:26:00.000-07:002008-05-28T11:26:00.000-07:00The calcium 'super-carrot' was a really good piece...The calcium 'super-carrot' was a really good piece of news. Carrots aren't a significant source of calcium, but what was remarkable about the research was that they not only predicted the increase in absorption based upon the experimental alteration, but they proved it by measuring the absorption rate. That's some good science.<BR/><BR/>I think the pesticide residue issue (in our country) is overblown in terms of health, but the issue of pesticide use is a very pertinent environmental issue.<BR/><BR/>I didn't see the news about the baby food! Yikes! Everyone's afraid of corn syrup and they're feeding cane sugar to their babies... <BR/><BR/><I>“Recent studies show that animals have a clear preference for sucrose over other sugars,” Dr. Araujo said. And eating sucrose, he said, generates future cravings for sucrose; other sugars tested, like fructose and glucose, do not have the same long-term effect.</I><BR/><BR/>Yikes.Karl Haro von Mogelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11409062416165090211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3590966175110441391.post-48436575867874835882008-05-26T16:57:00.000-07:002008-05-26T16:57:00.000-07:00You are right that plants will not grow well witho...You are right that plants will not grow well without sufficient nutrients. instead of synthetic fertilizers, which are energy intensive to make, organic farmers use compost and cover crops (to be plowed under as “green manure”) to foster soil fertility. <BR/><BR/>In addition to bringing in critical nutrients, cover crops help suppress weeds, deter the build up of insect pests, and add organic matter to the soil. This added organic matter enhances microbial activity and builds soil structure. With the cost of synthetic fertilizer increasing everyday because of the energy needed to produce it, we clearly need to adopt approaches that do not rely solely on this approach to foster soil fertility. This is especially true in less developed countries, where farmers do not have cash to buy synthetic fertilizers.<BR/><BR/>In regards to your question on pesticide residues, It is known that pesticide residues are found three to five times more often on conventional produce as compared to organic. Furthermore, some of these residues find their way into our bodies. For example, researchers found that two- to five-year-olds eating a conventional diet had nine times higher than average levels of organophosphate insecticide metabolites in their urine than children consuming mostly organic foods. (http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2003/5754/abstract.html). <BR/><BR/>Despite these numbers, there is no direct evidence <BR/>that the very low levels of pesticide residues on conventionally grown produce cause harm to human health, and they are usually well below the tolerance levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency.Pamela Ronaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08905736049638342587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3590966175110441391.post-27033603176510125902008-05-21T20:03:00.000-07:002008-05-21T20:03:00.000-07:00But if the soil on a conventional farm is depleted...But if the soil on a conventional farm is depleted and the use of synthetic fertilizers is necessary, wouldn't the plants lack what the soil is lacking? And isn't there sometimes residue left on produce after harvest? I'm just curious, not a plant scientist or anything...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3590966175110441391.post-55788487022685899072008-05-19T10:37:00.000-07:002008-05-19T10:37:00.000-07:00For info on GE carrots with enhanced calcium conte...For info on GE carrots with enhanced calcium content, please see:<BR/>http://notexactlyrocketscience.wordpress.com/2008/01/17/meet-the-genetically-modified-super-carrot-now-fortified-with-calcium/Pamela Ronaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08905736049638342587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3590966175110441391.post-8946389591568379682008-05-19T10:02:00.000-07:002008-05-19T10:02:00.000-07:00Thanks for the info Karl. Did you see the article ...Thanks for the info Karl. Did you see the article in the NYT today about organic babyfood? It is full of sugar, which is addictive and not thought to be too great for the baby, yet because it is marketed as organic, people buy it. I love organic agriculture, I hate the misleading marketing aspects.Pamela Ronaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08905736049638342587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3590966175110441391.post-15988146086997680592008-05-19T07:59:00.000-07:002008-05-19T07:59:00.000-07:00I think they got the 40% figure from a study done ...I think they got the 40% figure from a study done on antioxidants in strawberries, that's the only place I can find organic "winning out" to the tune of 40%. This doesn't make organic 40% healthier, not even organic strawberries, because the research doesn't take into account all the other nutritional factors, particularly the anti-nutrients. I interviewed UC Davis's Carl Winter last year, who did a meta-study on the conventional vs organic nutritional issue, and he found that while certain healthful compounds can be higher (though not always) in organic, the biological processes that cause this would also raise the levels of un-healthy (toxins, for example) compounds in the plants. His conclusion was that we can't say at this point whether one is 'healthier' than the other - and that we should just eat our fruits and veggies!<BR/><BR/>Interview link:<BR/>http://www.inoculatedmind.com/2007/07/203/<BR/><BR/>I was a little bothered by the article, although it brought up great points about a network of small producers, it fell back on the same old, "we'll make everyone healthier by focusing on gourmet food." That is only accessible to the middle class and higher. Yet, this will somehow help poorer Americans?Karl Haro von Mogelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11409062416165090211noreply@blogger.com