My decisions are simple when I go grocery shopping. I try to eat and buy organic as much as possible for health, beauty, prevention of disease and the environment. When I saw this new remarkable video, I wanted scream to from the roof tops. Not because of joy though, but because I know so many people are unknowingly being exposed to chemicals that could harm them. This video I am going to share with you today is DRAMATIC. When you see what happens when an average family that eats conventional (non-organic) food makes the switch to organic, your grocery store decisions could change forever. In just 2 short weeks, this family experienced a remarkable transformation!
In January, the independent Swedish Environmental Research Institute conducted this small experiment, using a family of five (two adults and three children), to determine whether there would be any significant changes in the pesticide levels in their bodies if they ate a diet of strictly organic food. They took urine samples from all of the family members every day for a week while they ate all conventional non-organic foods, and then every day for two weeks after they switched to all organic, so that they could analyze it for pesticides and their metabolites. Note that the term “pesticides” is an all-inclusive term for a substance that kills pests – including weeds – such as herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and growth inhibitors.
Watch the video here:
Some pesticide levels that decreased after switching to organic:
- Insecticides – such as Cypermethrin and Esfenvalerate
- Fungicides – such as Propamocarb, Iprodione, Vinclozolin
- Growth Inhibitors – Chlormequat Chloride and Mepiquat
- Herbicide – 2,4-D
Does a single dose always make the poison?
There’s the argument that the levels of pesticides in their bodies were low when they were eating conventional food, and that they weren’t high enough to cause health problems. You know the phrase: “the dose makes the poison”? However, the researchers here said we don’t know that for sure. They expressed concerns that we don’t know enough about the effects of all of these chemicals when they are combined in the body:
“the system for risk assessing chemicals is suitable only for one substance at a time. There is, therefore, no approved method for making an overall assessment of the effect of multiple chemicals simultaneously, i.e. the possibility that chemicals interact with one another to give a stronger or weaker effect than they would have individually. This is commonly called the “combination effect” or popularly known as the “cocktail effect”….
Given how little we currently know about the combination effects of all the different chemical substances that people are exposed to in their day-to-day lives, it may be wise to apply a principle of caution in this regard.”
What did the researchers say about the results?
- Exposure to pesticides reduces when we eat organic products instead of conventionally grown food.
- Choosing organic foods not only reduces the levels of a number of pesticides that we are exposed to through what we eat, but also reduces the risk of a long-term impact and combination effects.
- Concentrations of selected pesticides decreased by an average of a factor of 9.5 when the family switched to organic food.
- In relative terms, the children’s load decreased more than the adults’ in the food switch, probably due to their higher food intake relative to their bodyweight.
This isn’t the only data that came to similar conclusions!
A much larger 2015 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives analyzed the dietary exposure of organophosphates (OPs), the most common insecticides used on produce in the U.S. They found that “those who reported eating organic produce had significantly lower OP pesticide exposures than those consuming conventionally grown produce”. The researchers concluded:
“One way people can reduce their pesticide exposure… is to eat organic versions of those foods that are listed on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list, which ranks fruits and vegetables according to pesticide residue level”.
Likewise, Consumer Reports recently came out with a scientific report on pesticides, and recommends choosing organic food to decrease exposure to pesticides. Consumer Reports says, “organic is always the best choice because it is better for your health, the environment, and the people who grow our food”.
After learning all this, are you still worried about the expense of organic foods?
“You can either pay the farmer or the hospital”, says my friend Birke Baehr. I am here to help – please see over 75 of my best organic budget tips here.
So, what do you think? Is it worth it to choose organic food?
Tell me in the comments below.
Do you have family or friends that need this information or would like to know why you choose organic foods? Please share this video and information with them!
Xo,
Vani
P.S. If you are looking for additional assistance or guidance in living an organic lifestyle check out my New York Times Best Selling book The Food Babe Way and also consider joining the Food Babe membership program. I am here for ya!
Of COURSE its worth to choose organic foods!!!! When I first discovered about all the crap in our food all I needed to think was:
“Do I want to eat poison (even if its only a small amount)?”
The Answer to me was a clear and easy “YES”.
HAHAHA you know when your not thinking when you answer your own question wrong.
“NO” not “YES”
No worries, at least your brain isn’t in such a fog where you didn’t notice!
It would’ve been really sad if you hadn’t noticed your mistake but you did.
See, eating organic food is good for your brain too!
IMO, brain fog, where you can’t think straight, and often don’t even realize it, is absolutely one the worst side effects caused by eating GMO’s and pesticides.
Been there, done that and forever done with it.
¡Viva organics!
Lol. Thanks for the giggle.
Vani I am on this FDA website and I swear every day they are reporting some organic food or drink that they are pulling because of Listeria and Salmonella contamination. I am so confused sometime although I still buy organic. What are your thoughts on this?
The last place you would go for nutritional advice is the FDA, or any other fascist government agency…time to wake up!
Jay: You seem to have no problem with the “fascist government agency” know as the USDA to tell you which foods are organic and which ones are not. Or do you grow all of your own food fiber?
You do realize that organic producers can use pesticides and herbicides?
Unbelievable!
Did you notice how the pesticides were being sprayed on the worker as well.
I feel terrible for the people that earn their living working in farms where they and their families are being exposed to tons of unhealthy chemicals.
It is time that we stop this insanity.
How do you know they weren’t spraying organic chemicals?
Its the only way that I eat.. compare to health costs. I spend $10,00 getting healthy and healing my leaky gut and that doesn’t include working on hormone balancing and doing it naturally. which I am working on now and muscle mass.
Connie Curtis:
any suggestions for leaky gut?
I eat organic. I’m vegan.
Food Babe:
I’ve had a shower water filter for 2 weeks now per your book and I have notice a real change in my hair!!!!!
Thank you!!
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for reaching out to me. The first place to start is if you think you have a leaky gut find a good functional doctor without the right diagnosis if your gluten intolerant or have food allergies. Its really hard to say what else could be the. Its like shooting in the dark. I started a business to help others around this. If you want to talk further just email me [email protected].
Research the doctors to find someone that understands this topic. That is the place to start. I hope this helps.
xo,
Connie
Deborah
Sounds like you may need a few probiotics. You need to detox.
Probably an elimination diet would help also
Try Dr. Axe’s website, he has an entire program to heal leaky gut. I just took his Nutritional Leadership course, and he is very knowledgeable about this. Go to: http://draxe.com/leaky-gut-diet-treatment/ He has other articles and even a whole program, but this is a good start. Hope this helps!
Hey, Carin, I just finished the Institute of Nutritional Leadership course, too. Definitely enjoyed it and found it helpful in many ways. My favorite “class” was on essential oils. I think they are the way/wave of the future. And to Deborah Tennant, there are some essential oils that would help w/ leaky gut.
It’s good advice to contact a functional medicine physician. However, while you’re waiting, for an appointment, you might want to get off of modern hybridized wheat products, start taking a good probiotic formula with meals along with high quality digestive enzymes. Stop using all salad and cooking oils except for coconut oil, in order to help minimize your omega-6 ingestion. Do not use canola, soy, cotton seed or corn oils for any reason. Keep away from all soy products that have not been fomented and or are from GMO soy. Eat lots of chia seeds to boost your omega-3 intake. Ingest up to 2 Tbsp. of flax seeds a day to boost your omega-3 intake and to supply lignans to help your gut and other tissues in your body. Cut back but don’t eliminate nuts and other seeds while you wait to consult with a functional medicine doctor, as this will help lower your omega-6 intake. Omega-6 oils are necessary but inflammatory. Omega-3 oils are necessary and anti-inflammatory. Without both in the right proportion to each other, one’s health will tend to fail sooner, as exemplified by your current health problems Cut back on your fructose ingestion to about 4 grams or less per meal to minimize blood sugar stress. As a vegan, you should be getting sufficient soluble fiber in your diet. Eat only the cooked forms of cruciferous vegetables as the raw forms can be endocrine disruptors for some peope.
It is difficult to be a vegan and balance the omega-6 to omega-3 fat intake ratio, because humans require omega-3 oils to be in the form of DHA and EPA, both having 20 carbon chains. Whereas, omega-3 oils from vegetable sources contain carbon chains with only 18 carbon atoms. The problem is that the conversion efficiency from 18 to 20 carbon chains in humans is reported to be only 8%, at best and a lot lower for some people. This makes it very difficult for some people to ingest sufficient omega-3 fats to correct existing health problems. There are reports that vitamin-C, when ingested with a meal may increase this conversion efficiency. But this hasn’t been definitely proved, yet, though it is worth trying. I had switched to vegetarianism, mostly vegan, but recently had to resume eating a limited amount of organic meat and wild caught Atlantic fish after an iron deficiency developed. By limited amount, I mean about 1 ounce per meal eaten with not more than one and occasionally two meals a day, and this is in addition to iron supplementation. This has corrected the problem. I suspect that I’m also much older than most of Food Babe’s readers.
Connie Curtis:
any suggestions for leaky gut?
I eat organic. I’m vegan.
Food Babe:
I’ve had a shower water filter for 2 weeks now per your book and I have
notice a real change in my hair!!!!!
Thank you!!
WOW lots of great suggestions! I will take note and pursue them. I am consulting a traditional doctor (although he is vegan) and a nutritionalist by email. I have had many tests. I have had success with a gluten free FODMAPS diet which on top of a no oil/ no added sugar vegan diet is ok now that I’m used to it. I am having success with Metagenics GI Sustain shake and elimination diet. But that shake is not something I would normally use! But for some reason it soothes the gut.
I appreciate all the tips !! But I don’t see anyway to comment on each one?
Debroah,
The thing with a leaky gut is you need to find out what is causing it. You cant do anything until you do that. Find out if you are gluten intolerant and have food allergies. This affects hormones as well.
For working on your hormones, make sure you bromine out of your diet. It’s in just about everything. It is an endocrine disrupt-er. ( http://www.livewellat.blogspot.com )
Connie:
How exactly did you start doing your hormone therapy naturally. Is there a certain website that you used to order your products?
I wish that all the people give that me a hard time for only eating organic’s would watch this, then maybe they would understand why I do it.
I have psoriatic arthritis that initially was diagnosed as possible fibromyalgia. I realized several years after pain started that I had also developed a sensitivity to nightshade vegetables and several other fruits and vegetables that are known to have or probably have solanine, a common glyco-alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants. I now can no longer eat some of the healthy foods that I’ve loved all my life (tomatoes, tomatillos, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, gogi berries, ashwaganda for nightshades/apples, artichokes, okra, beets, blueberries for known/possibly contain solanine). Nightshades and solanine are cholinesterase inhibitors, the chemical that is released in your brain to make your muscles relax after contracting. Organophosphates, and another type of pesticide called carbamates, are also cholinesterase inhibitors.
People who have sensitivity to cholinesterase inhibitors usually have one of three types of symptoms: muscle and joint pain; migraines; or gastrointestinal problems. In the 1990’s, shortly after the first GMOs made it into the market place, people who had been on a restricted diet for years had their symptoms return after eating corn and cottonseed oil, two foods that had recently become genetically modified.
Corn and cottonseed was being genetically modified with BT toxin. It is unclear if these people who couldn’t tolerate cholinesterase inhibitors might have reacted to BT toxin or maybe glyphosate sprayed on these crops.
To add to my suspicion that BT toxin or glyphosate may be a cholinesterase inhibitor, I’ve spoken to numerous people who have switched to organic diets because whenever they eat foods that may be genetically modified, their symptoms are: muscle and joint pain; migraines; or gastrointestinal problems. I am also suspicious since the incidence of fibromyalgia has become more common over the last 2 decades.
I eat lot of Indian vegetables which I don’t get organic like okra , eggplant. Is it ok to eat conventional non dirty dozen veggies and fruits ?
Pesticides and Herbicides are a very serious problem that most folks just aren’t that aware of. I recently, after years of urging, got my neighbor to stop using “Round Up” type of poisons for weed control.
I showed him how a simple spray of a Borax , yes the old 20 Mule Team or the cheap stuff at Wally World, and warm water mixture sprayed directly on weeds will safely kill them as effectively as harmful poisons.
Been using it for years. Just 10 oz. borax, well dissolved, in 8 to 12 oz. of warm water then add that to 2 gallons +- of water and spray away. Use what you make, do not store.
Note: This a non-selective weed killer. It will kill the grass. Great for those large areas, fence lines, etc. Don’t use around the garden or flower beds unless you have very good aim and targeting skills!
Boiling water / steam is very effective, eco-friendly way for spot treating weeds also!
Noted this in the newsletter today:
“Posts may contain affiliate links for products Food Babe has approved and researched herself. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same (or at a discount if a special code is offered) and Food Babe will automatically receive a small referral fee. Your support is crucial because it helps fund this blog and helps us continue to spread the word. Thank you.”
Thanks for the open, honest stating of that which is perfectly fine with your army, Vani.
I see no problem with this approach as long as those involved know exactly where the “slippery slope of selling out” begins and they stay on the good path, as Vani has been shown to do, over and over.
We all know the old saying regarding “The road to hell being paved with good intentions” that so many other promoters, after a time, seem to go down in the quest for the brass ring, going for the gold, etc.
Your efforts to help inform, educate and show where the good path resides has earned you a “slice of the pie” in order to keep on fighting the good fight.
Thanks again for all you do! You make a big difference in a lot of lives, as you must surely know by now.
Most folks I know that will listen, come away with a better understanding of just how much even a little bit of change can affect their overall health and well being.
RP in NC
Thank you, Randall, for the boiling water note!! I’ll try that on my carport concrete’s seams and cracks. Not quite on topic maybe, but much appreciated, as is Vani’s work.
I’ve been choosing Organic since October 2011, when I learned about what would become California’s Prop 37 in 2012 (mandatory GMO food labeling). All that new information about GMOs and pesticides and other unnecessary crap made me start to take notice of what exactly was in the food I was buying. It changed my kitchen forever and I’ve never felt better.
What are the dirty dozen?
http://foodrevolution.org/blog/the-dirty-dozen-plus-clean-fifteen-infographic/
I don”t trust labels just because you put Organic on something is it truly without contaminants ,we have been lied to most of the time so what stops them from falsely saying it is Organic ??????????
I worked at a Co-Op grocery store in MN. A lot of times the smaller farms will not have the “USDA Certified Organic” label on them because it is expensive to get certified. Produce can be called organic if it’s certified to have grown on soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years prior to harvest. Prohibited substances include most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. In instances when a grower has to use a synthetic substance to achieve a specific purpose, the substance must first be approved according to criteria that examine its effects on human health and the environment. As for organic meat, regulations require that animals are raised in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors (like the ability to graze on pasture), fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not administered antibiotics or hormones. When packaged products indicate they are “made with organic [specific ingredient or food group],” this means they contain at least 70% organically produced ingredients. The remaining non-organic ingredients are produced without using prohibited practices (genetic engineering, for example) but can include substances that would not otherwise be allowed in 100% organic products. “Made with organic” products will not bear the USDA organic seal, but, as with all other organic products, must still identify the USDA-accredited certifier. You can look for the identity of the certifier on a packaged product for verification that the organic product meets USDA’s organic standards. – See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-the-usda-organic-label-means/#sthash.dhA8czpS.dpuf
So what does happen when an animal who is raised without ever using antibiotics get sick? I have heard all sorts of things. 1) the animal suffers through the infection 2) the animal is treated and then used for dog food (nonorganic of course). 3)The animal is euthanized. I really don’t know and that is why I’m asking.
Frank, right now buying with the organic certification is the best option. It is very expensive and rigors requirements for the producer to obtain the certified organic label. I believe most who do are very committed to the organic principals of farming.
hmmm…this is actually pretty encouraging. it suggests the possibility that agricultural toxins flush fairly quickly. the next test ought to be of fatty tissue and possibly biopsies of the liver, stomach, and perhaps the intestines to determine how much of the toxins are actually absorbed. if concentrations are high, houston we have a problem. but if they are low, it could suggest benefit of pesticides on a macro level outweigh the costs to the total population.
of course, the individual will always be free to go the organic route.
ok. start flaming…
You bring up a good point. One problem though with testing to see how much of a chemical or toxin is broken down is that different chemicals join together or get picked up by receptors for similar molecular patterns (look at estrogen receptors and pesticides). Testing can not be done on them separately except for the amount that has not been picked up by the body. This new cocktail mix could hide out in our fat cells, continue to mix with other toxins and not be detected for years but continue to silently kill us.
We’re playing russian roulette with our health and we don’t know if the gun is loaded or not. Why play at all? Just eat as organic as possible and include fermented foods.
I did actually consider that. And once the issue is taken seriously by the medical community, there’s an excellent chance the necessary research will take place. Until then, you are right: the only way to minimize exposure is via organics.
Watch out for that Salmonella and Listeria. Of course they don’t silently kill you. You pretty much know something isn’t right. When you die from Sal or Lis (or their complications) doctors know right away.
When I started watching this, I knew right away by the names of the whole family that they were a Swedish family! I Love that because I am Swedish. 🙂 I use to eat organic foods when I was living in Sweden, then I moved to the US in 2006, and it was more difficult to find the real organic foods, but I did not stop searching for the best products. Now it is so easy to find wonderful organic products and more and more stores are bringing them in. Also, yes, it is more expensive but if we all support the organic industry the organic foods won’t be so expensive in the near future. Another thing is to think about all the meds that you have to buy when you get sick from eating crappy foods, sooner or later, the body breaks down in one way or the other.
Herbs & MePennie,
I hope you are having a grand day!! I am and have been writing a organic cook book. It has been in the making for 1 & 1/2 years. Over the past five or so months, I have been tracking the costs of eating organics/meal. There is no real big difference. I shop around several different stores, go to pick and buy farms when in season and the majority of what I do eat is bulk; including all of my sauces and dressings. If I may make another suggestion is to eat according to your blood type and learn food combining. Both will fine tune what you eat. When you chew your food appropriately, in a few weeks you will also eat less. Bottom line, when eating, put the fork/spoon down between bites. Depending on what you are chewing/eating shoot for 20 to 30 times before your final swallow… If you maximize your nutrition, you will eat less. I lost 20 + lbs. in and around 3 weeks. Never missed a meal. 2 good books:: ‘Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type,’ written by Peter D’Adamo. The other book is out of print but it can be found. ‘How To Always Be Well,’ written by Dr. William Howard Hay M.D. He wrote the book in the 40s; food combining!!!. Spread the word and eat well to stay well.
sincerely, jpakdc
p.s. No one can make an apple like God!
Is your book going to include information on how to eat for your blood type and food combining. When is it coming out? I would buy it!
Love the video. I just wish there was a grocery store that sold only organic everything and nothing else! Some times you go to whole foods or Trader Joe’s and find stuff just as bad and not organic, like at the regular food stores. It would take the guess work out.
I don’t know where you live, but in Colorado there is “Natural Grocers” (also sometime referred to as “Vitamin Cottage”). All their produce is organic- which means that sometimes, the selection is smaller than other grocery stores…love this store!!
I go to Natural Grocers a lot, but they do carry Horizon “Organic” products, which have been busted several times for being factory farmed… That alone proves the USDA label doesn’t mean anything
They also have all the General Mills variants like Cascadian Farm among others
I won’t trust any brand owned by Big Ag…
Me too!!!!
What exactly is wrong with “Big Ag”? What is the definition of big ag? Just how big do you have to be? How do I know if a food product is big ag or not?
In our town, we have no Whole Foods or TJ or Natural Grocer, but we do have a food co-op that is committed to organic products. Maybe here is your opportunity to work with some new friends and get one started where you are!
I don’t see a SHARE button on this article & I REALLY want to share it.
Marianne, there is a green “share this” button at the bottom of the post. 🙂
I love that the mom in the video was concerned about her children eating the pesticides. Another way for our children to benefit is for US parents to avoid eating the pesticides. My rationale is that if we do that, we hopefully avoid having health complications that our children have to watch us suffer through. None of us want to watch loved ones suffer or put them through watching us suffer. Additional thoughts on this, anyone?
I think organic is very over priced in our area and hard to find. I always soak everything I buy in colloidal copper and Miracle II soap and have been for many years. At 71 we do the best we can afford. For most family with children it is very hard to buy organic. For many years we had our own garden and all worked it. Did not use pesticides. It was so much better. I also think we can’t be sure if it is organic today. We heard that when sellers go to buy at the produce place they are not sure if things get mixed.
I think in years to come most everyone will be sick because of our food. Too much fast foods and junk foods that is easy for people. Not many of our friends cook but eat out.
Yes it’s worth it, ALWAYS! My concern is, however, why is this allowed to go on in the first place. Why aren’t more people doing something about it rather than accepting it and eating themselves to death, literally! Something is incredibly wrong here and everyone is just supposed to accept it and either eat the junk or pay a fortune to attempt to live healthy! ABSURD!
Live your good life Emily. But please don’t take my choices away. I really don’t want people telling me what I can eat or can not eat. You have the choice to buy organic. If you want to eat go ahead and eat it. I have faith that a majority of Americans are able to decide what they want to put in their mouth and what they don’t. The Organic Program is through the marketing service of the USDA it is not done through the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service or the FDA.
Thank you Vanni – My first grandchild was born yesterday. I’m 67. They didn’t want kids and I never thought I’ve be a grandma! But at 49 he is a Daddy now!
I’ve been wondering all night how I can help my son and his wife understand the importance of good nutrition in raising this beautiful child. This is sooo very timely and I will share it with them and my other friends right away.
It would be nice to also be able to point them to a study that shows organic foods have more nutrients as well if you know of one.
Congratulations! Check this post for more studies and data on organic foods: https://foodbabe.com/2015/02/26/difference-between-organic-non-gmo-labels/
Hi Vani,
I saw this video a while ago, but I do have a question. Although the blood testing showed dramatic improvement within just a couple of weeks, it would be interesting to see tests for pesticides, etc. that would have been absorbed by their livers, kidneys, brains, and other organs. In other words, I am wondering how long it takes to really flush these poisons out of human bodies; it seems the researcher’s testing is rather superficial and the video glosses over the systemic contamination and focuses only on blood.
A Great re-enforcer to our organic agenda. I like the way that Pesticide & Chemical laced foods are branded even by us health nuts as “conventionally grown foods”. What does that make good old organic gardening? An Alternative? Also, there are enough organic growers out there now that we can pressure them into lowering prices Growing without pesticides chemicals roids hormones antibiotics is not a big deal. In fact it is more economical.
Packaging = death to something.
Hi Vani,
Yes! Your right on it! I went organic about 10 years ago and could tell the difference not only in taste of food but how i felt. Thanks for your continued unrelenting fight for life and choice in the market place.
You are welcome Robin!
First of all, THANK YOU for your hard work and dedication! This cause needs a spearhead, and you are awesome.
Since switching to organic, I cannot stomach non-organic foods. I hear people always saying organic is so expensive. Not true. The prices have become very reasonable, the selection has increased dramatically, and the long term savings – health- is beyond comparison. Go organic. Be aware. Don’t settle for this tragic assault on our food chain.
I agree… and based on the amount of money I used to spend on prescription drugs – I am saving cash!!!
My family has already start eating organic foods, we would love to take that test. We want to know where it’s available.
Me too! I’ll keep you posted.
Moms across America has information where you can take the test and it cost about $100
Vani,
Thank you for all of your efforts!
Heard about you through my boss. Then heard you on your KOTO Radio interview with Mark here in Telluride, and immediately took your book home.
Now everyone in the shop is reading it. Truly is changing my habits, especially in eating organic. So worth any additional inconveniece. We should all continue to support local organic gardening, some day it will become the norm once again.
Keep it going!
Best,
Tawne
Tawne – Thanks so much. Really appreciate the kind words of encouragement.
The Swedish standards for conventional food ingredients are more strictly regulated than USA. So doing blood tests on Americans would probably show greater levels of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and growth factors than what the family had.
Hi Vani,
It sure would be nice to see a study on long term (bioaccumulation) use of eating non- organic foods.
Do you know of one?
In the last month and a half, I am down 11 pounds! My skin looks better and I feel better. I was about 85% organic, now I am 100%. Even my dog has organic food now. She looks better too, seriously!! I have a few cosmetics to switch over and I’ll be set.
FB, your book gave me the push I needed to go 100% organic. This is the first time I can honestly say I don’t feel like I am dieting. And I am not chomping at the bit for the weight to come off! I know it will. Can’t wait to see the rewards after a year of all this great food!! Now I need to get my family on board!
Keep up the great work, and thank you!!!!
Sure wish I could afford organic foods. But I’m on a limited income and I figure organic is about 30% more expensive. It just can’t fit in my budget. I would go hungry.
I also cannot digest legumes or whole grains, so they’re not an option (I have Crohns Disease).
everyone should post this to facebook or wherever you tweet, twirp or thwack.. I myself have been eating organic or biodynamic for over 15 plus yrs , my parents farm was organic back in the 1960’s , thanks to my dad’s friend J.I. Rodale , but in our little lake resort town there was no organics available , unless you grew it , yourself. So anyway , not going to go on and on , as I would love to .. Keep up the great work , Vani
PS “Kroger”is a nationwide grocer (I think) and they will bend over backwards for you if you ask for organic products , especially produce , our local Kroger in warsaw , IN , their organic section has expanded 5 or 6 times in as many years. Now they are carrying organic grass fed beef , poultry , bison . pretty cool…
This video is one-sided because it was produced by a Swedish company (Coop) that sells organic food – something that Vani didn’t disclose in her article.
Two Word’s: FARMERS MARKET
If you are fortunate to live in an area with locally grown organic produce, the best bet is to visit the Farmer’s market and take advantage of the non-pesticide foods. They also have good Fresh Fish & Grass-fed Meat options sometimes as well.
One Love!!!
How can u tell if food labled organic is truly organic. I’ve seen programs and read articles that makd me doubt.
I’d like to post the video on my Facebook page, but when I try, I find just the option to LIKE your site, which I’ve already done. Help?? TY CarlieSue
Heck yeah, it’s worth it to eat ONLY organic; will NEVER buy conventional again unless organic is unavailable, totally.
Hi Vani,
I saw this video a while ago, but I do have a question. Although the blood testing showed dramatic improvement within just a couple of weeks, it would be interesting to see tests for pesticides, etc. that would have been absorbed by their livers, kidneys, brains, and other organs. In other words, I am wondering how long it takes to really flush these poisons out of human bodies; it seems the researcher’s testing is rather superficial and the video glosses over the systemic contamination and focuses only on blood.
My friend 84 says you can pay now for organic or pay ten fold at the hospital later.My friend is Lenny Johnson. A wise old man.
The idea that it is somehow healthy to eat food that only has very minute amounts of poisons in it or on it is a false concept.
Monsanto preys on the ignorance of people who believe this and literally poisons infants and children all around the world…..plus their products kill honeybees the help pollinate our food.
Hillary Clinton is a PROMOTER of Monsanto’s agenda ( check out her “work” in
Africa ).
She has openly stated that she “know” that GMOs are safe !
Hillary is extremely ANTI-CONSUMER.
She will NOT support GMO labeling as she does not want us to know that glyphosate ( present in most GMOs) is in our food, including BABY Formula !
In case you don’t know, glyphosate is a probable carcinogen ( according to WHO ), although many people at WHO favored labeling it as a “known carcinogen”
oops….Hillary says she “knows” that GMOs are safe .
and that phrase above should read …..”their products kill honeybees that help pollinate our food.”
( sorry, not used to a site that has no edit or delete function . )
I have been to many presentations on the possible causes of honeybee decline. Roundup and GMO have never been mentioned as a possible cause and some of the best scientists in the country have been involved in determining causes for decline. The best scientists in the country aren’t doing google searches to find the reason like you do.
As far as not posting using my real name, you call it bad manners. I call it good sense.
Which one of Monsanto’s products kill honeybees?
I see that you do not have the manners to weigh in here with your real name as I have done, nonetheless I have decided to post the following information (based on searches anyone can do ):
Roundup (glyphosate ) is what I call a “sneak attack” on honeybees as it may not kill them directly, but weakens them considerably through the mechanism of their beneficial bacteria being harmed via the shikimic metabolic pathway.
As you know, Monsanto has claimed that humans are not affected by glyphosate since we lack the shikimic metabolic pathway that weeds have.
However since bacteria DO have this pathway, and our immune systems have hundreds of Billions of beneficial bacteria which help to protect us, then ingesting glyphosate will harm or destroy our “friends” that are helping us, thus leaving us more susceptible to a whole host of diseases.
It is much the same with the bees: Roundup hurts their beneficial bacteria, leaving them less able to defend themselves against a variety of bee-killing organisms.(Bees are like the canary in the coalmine ) …and of course BayerCropScience products are even worse, but anyone can search for info on this.
So where are all these dead poisoned babies? What about all the babies that die from hunger and malnutrition? What about all that babies that survived because they ate food produced using GMO technology? Are you just adverse to technology that produces the Round Up Ready trait or are you against all GM technology? Or are you only against Monsanto but Pioneer and Bayer or OK? I know you don’t like Hillary or Monsanto but you aren’t to clear on the rest of the stuff.
Nowhere in my comments do I make a reference to “dead poisoned babies”, so your statement is very silly. (And I call you a coward since you won’t even post under your real name, but attempt to twist my words while hiding behind a code name) .
My comments are directed towards Hillary Clinton and her support for Monsanto’s agenda of poisoning people, especially babies whose immune systems are not fully developed. Of course other companies are also guilty of similar crimes against humanity, but Hillary’s relationship to Monsanto is what I am calling attention to.
So by all means, let’s agree that Bayer Crop Science is also quite evil in their assault on honeybees.
Do you understand the idea here? ….Roundup ( glyphosate ) is a poison ( it may be helpful to use the standard definition of this word). It does what poisons are designed to do: harm or kill something. I am NOT saying that Roundup kills babies; I am saying that Roundup weakens the immune systems of babies, leaving them susceptible to a variety of health problems.
Any fungicides that Monsanto or other companies produce also have the net result of killing honeybees ( see my other comment ) .
As for your idea that GMOs are necessary to feed the world, that is false. The science to support that is not there. ( keep in mind that Monsanto press releases are not the same as peer-reviewed scientific studies ) . GMO advocates carefully select instances of increased crop yields to try to sell the public on this idea of GMOs, but organic farming will feed the world much better. Study the actual nutritional content of organic corn versus GMO corn. When you realize that they both LOOK the same but that the GMO corn has less nutrients, you can see that the organically grown food is more beneficial to humans than GMO corn. ( for anyone who cares to do so, go to the website: “alteredgenestwistedtruth” for what the FDA’s own scientists said about the dangers of genetically engineered “food” )
“In case you don’t know, glyphosate is a probable carcinogen ( according to WHO )” Stuart: burnt toast is a known carcinogen.
Yes, you are correct – you can look anything up on the internet. Whether it is true or accurate is questionable.
You are also correct that GM seeds aren’t needed to feed the world. But if it can help feed people shouldn’t we keep the option available? Are you against all GM technology?
“GMO advocates carefully select instances of increased crop yields to try to sell the public on this idea of GMOs, but organic farming will feed the world much better.” GM isn’t going to feed the world and organic -by itself – isn’t going to feed the world either. It is a much more complicated issue. The world tried providing enough food without the use of synthetic fertilizer. You might want to look back during the time of Malthus when synthetic fertilizer was not available. Neither organic nor conventional have superior crop yields over each other. Growing food is lot more complicated than an either/or proposition.
FYI: Conventional food production can use (and does use) organic production methods (such as IPM, crop rotation, etc.). Unlike organic, it isn’t an either/or choice when you are talking about conventional production.
Since I moved to South America, I’ve lost over 40 pounds and feel great. Not bad for a 73-year-old pastry maker. I usually try to give my business to the little tiendas who get their stuff straight from the country.
go Organic, Eat Organic, buy only organic…WAKE UP, Piggle wiggle and
Walmart doesn’t have Organic… Even your neighbors garden doesn’t
have organic…We are all doomed !!!
Does anyone know how to manufacture a device or app to detect chemicles?
The researchers in the study used devices called liquid chromatograph and tandem mass spectrometer. They can be used to separate and detect many types of chemicals but they need to be kept on a laboratory bench.
Your smartphone has a number of sensors in it, and apps can be written to interpret those sensors. Unfortunately there is no built-in mass spectrometer on your smartphone. There are some handheld detectors available for field use that use less-sensitive techniques.
Here is one example (not an endorsement): http://www.defiant-tech.com/frog-4000.php
Comment to all who complain that Organic food is expensive – yes it does cost more BUT you stop buying all the garbage that is sold in the middle of every grocery store – packaged, canned, processed and this includes all the bags of GMO snacks (corn chips etc) so it is an offset! We take supplements and went fully organic about 2 years ago and our food bills did not increase, overall. Secondly, we don’t get sick so we don’t spend $$$ on doctors, prescriptions and over the counter drugs! Major offset. If something does creep in it is treated with herbs and essential oils. Thirdly, it becomes a choice – do you want to spend your $$$ on healthy food or on the medical profession or rather on those who practice medicine? Lastly think about that one – PRACTICE??? I am 75 years young and feel great but I have been following various paths of health for the past 45 years and it is so much easier now to research and get current information, like Vani’s posts. When I am out with my grand daughter, 25, people always assume I am her mother! So I say, I would much rather pay myself to stay healthy by eating only organic food then spend my $$$ to buy some doctor his latest Hummer!
Some people with brains already know all this and have all your books and all of the other research on this. Thank you so much for this. This needs to go viral. Ugh whats the matter with this government and world?
Uggg can we even trust organic at this point.
I first saw this video on Yahoo news which amazed and then pleased me. Or did Vani air it first and then Yahoo picked it up?
People refer to a blood test showing the high level of pesticides – wasn’t it all done by urineanalysis? I recall the little boy carrying a bottle of amber liquid from the family’s bathroom.
I recall seeing organics at Walmart – I simply don’t trust them. The farmer’s markets get my business. Read their posted certificates or ask them how they control “pests”.
The same agency that allows farmers at farmers markets to sell “organic” is the same agency that allows WalMart to sell organics. The standard is the same.
I do not have the expertise that “Seriously?” apparently has to know that it is the very same same agency with the same standards that allows the sale of organics both at farmer’s markets and Walmart. What is that agency?
However, I prefer farmer’s markets because their produce is supposed to be locally grown, not imported. I have easily travelled to some local organic farms who sell their produce at my farmer’s market to see if they appear legitimate.
I think that if you check the labels at Walmart, you will find many out of state and imported organics, not easily checked unless you are a multi lingual world traveller. Some organic producers have poor reputations. . . http://www.Cornucopia.org has scorecards that are helpful.
It is the Agriculutural Marketing Service under the USDA that runs the National Organic Program. Locality isn’t covered under Organic AFAIK.
Thank you for nice video about organic and pesticides 🙂
Good short video. Sometimes you get a point across much better with pictures as we are creatures of sight.
Buying “Organic ” is a start , barely . Pesticides will be present in our food supply for many years to come even when we buy organic as the soils have been treated with pesticides , herbicides and synthetic fertilizers for decades so the nutrients will be contaminated , also lack of crop rotation is lacking .And the drought ( especially here in California ) makes the situation much worse as water is needed to filter all of these contaminants out of the soil …….
Probiotic? Detox? All chemicals are bad? Does anyone ever read a book any more? None of these things are reaL”food babe” hasn’t even got a science degree.
Great! Hoping that this gets more people to switch. The more people that buy organic – the more organic we will see. It is hard for some people that do not have access to organics foods – or a limited supply in their local grocery store. Definitely worth the extra money – and yes – there are lots of other chemicals to avoid – many found in personal care products. Thanks for raising awareness Food Babe!
Same type of study was done on BPA – and levels were drastically reduced.
How to differentiate between Conventional, Organic and GMO foods.
Not foolproof, but it’s somewhere to start for those not fortunate to have a wide variety of food vendors to choose from.
When in the grocery store look at the little oval label stuck on a lot of produce. There is information there to help folks to make a better informed decision regarding what it is they are considering to buy and put in their bodies.
Conventional Grown – look for the 4 digit number, usually starting with a 4
Organic produce, look for the 5 digit number, will begin with a 9
GMO produce – 5 digits, starting with an 8
Note: Of course, this only applies if we trust that the vendors applying those labels are telling the truth in the first place. But, it’s somewhere to begin and something to be aware of.
Also:
Link to the “Dirty Dozen / Clean Fifteen Fruits and Vegetables.
http://foodrevolution.org/blog/the-dirty-dozen-plus-clean-fifteen-infographic/
I am sure that this list can vary due to geographical location, but it’s a good start regarding what to watch out for and what to seek out.
What…no glyphosate mentioned? Could it be that glyphosate is not nearly the danger that you people think it is?
I recently spoke with a friend who is trying to revamp her diet and has started juicing. We swapped smoothie recipes (here’s my go-to blend: http://yogamatmonkey.com/my-secret-weapon-smoothie-revealed/ ). I was surprised to learn that she was using some iffy ingredients in her so-called-healthy smoothies. Also, she had never heard of the Dirty Dozen list and was not aware of the dangers of pesticides. Thanks for raising awareness, Food Babe!