Following on from the interesting article on what you shouldn’t buy Organic, the Huffington Post brings us a follow up on what we definitely should buy organic.
This list is a no compromise guide to safe shopping so that you know that you are buying what really counts when it comes to organic.
The 1st on their list is Beef. "Research suggests a strong connection between some of the hormones given to cattle and cancer in humans, particularly breast cancer," says Samuel Epstein, M.D., professor emeritus of environmental and occupational medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health.
Oestrogen like agents used on Cattle increase your chance of developing cancer adds Ted Schettler, M.D science director at Science and Environmental Health network.Persoonally i think this applies to all meat!!
When you buy beef that is certified organic you’re not only cutting out those hormones, you’re also avoiding developing antibiotic resistance.
The 2nd on the List is Strawberries. This super food has been found with over 13 pesticides on it according to the Environmental Working group. "Strawberries have a large surface area and all those tiny bumps, which makes the pesticides hard to wash off, so you're ingesting more of those chemicals," explains Marion Nestle, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition and public health at New York University and author of "What to Eat."
Also choose Organic peaches, apples, blueberries, and cherries over non organic varieties
3rd on the list is Cookware. Although I don’t think you can buy this labelled organic, there are simply more healthy versions.
Traditional “non-stick cookware contains fluorochemical called PTFE that breaks down to form toxic fumes when overheated," says Olga Naidenko, Ph.D., a senior scientist at the EWG. "Those fumes can coat the inside of the lungs and cause allergy-like symptoms."
Tests by EWG showed that in 2 minutes on the stove, non-stick cookware surfaces can heat up beyond guidelines after which they emit toxic gases. These then pollute our food and the air we are breathing. Better options are stainless steel, ceramic or cast iron.
4thly and surprisingly is Popcorn…The inner linings of microwave-popcorn bags may contain a toxic chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, which is used to prevent the food from sticking to the paper. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state that PFOA is a likely carcinogen.
"We don't know all of the hazardous effects of PFOA yet, but we have some evidence of a link to cancer, as well as to effects on the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems," says David Carpenter, M.D., director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany. Make your own on the stove!!
5thly, is garden Pesticides. For the plain and simple reason that they are suspected carcinogens according to EPA data and that long term exposure may cause brain and nervous system changes. Not only are you breathing the chemicals in, but you bring them indoors and onto carpets via your shoes," says McKay Jenkins, Ph.D., a journalism professor at the University of Delaware and author of What's Gotten Into Us? Buy and good organic gardening book to show you natural alternatives to spraying everything with chemicals
6thly are common household cleaners which potentially expose you to harmful chemicals on a daily basis. Ammonia and Bleach for instance can irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory tract, they also contain phthalates which disrupt normal hormonal activity in the body says EWG senior scientist Becky Sutton, Ph.D.
Research on Phthalates is not totally clear, "the greatest concern is how early-life exposure will affect male [reproductive] development," Dr. Carpenter says. There's weaker evidence, he adds, that phthalates affect the nervous and immune systems
Natural cleaning products like Ecover, bio-d and method are just as good at cleaning but without the side effects.
7th on the list are water bottles. Avoid hard re-usable plastic water bottles as they contain BPA or bisphenol A another endocrine disruptor according to the National Institute of Environmental health Sciences. "For adults, the biggest concern with BPA is that it may increase the risk of breast cancer in women and reduce sperm counts in men," says Dr. Carpenter, who explains that BPA can leach out into the water in the bottle. To be safe, sip from an unlined stainless steel or BPA-free plastic bottle
8th - Food Storage Containers. More BPA! Which can leach out of the containers into your food! "The leaching is increased during heating, but it also leaches to a smaller degree even when cold foods are stored," Dr. Carpenter explains. Glass containers are your safest -- not to mention planet-friendly -- bet. Both Rubbermaid and Pyrex make glass ones with BPA-free plastic lids
9th Milk- Dairy products account for 60 to 70% of the Oestrogens we consume through our food due to the hormones that comes from the cows. In addition about 17% of cows are treated with the hormones rBST (rBGH) which stimulates milk production by increasing circulating levels of another hormaone called insulin like groth factor (IGF-1)
"Elevated levels of IGF-1 in people are associated with an increased risk of cancer, including breast cancer," Dr. Schettler explains. The use of rBGH is banned in Europe and Canada. I am still researching if this includes the UK. If anyone knows, please let me know! Although research is doesn’t yet definitively say that drinking rBGH-treated milk increases your IGF-1 levels Dr. Schettler says it's advisable to buy milk that hasn't been treated with it. So try and find milk that's organic so its free of antibiotics but also labeled rBGH-free, rBST-free, or is produced without artificial hormones. Not so easy in the uk!
10th on the list- Ok celery is next on the list! Celery tops the chart as coming out most contaminated in pesticide tests (EWG). This is due to the porous stalks, they retain a lot of what’s sprayed on them. Also switch to organic bell peppers, spinach and potatoes which also score really high for pesticide contamination.
11th on the list is Tomato Sauce or paste. Most people will go for a can, but this is dangerous due to BPA. The lining on the inside of food cans that's used to protect against corrosion and bacteria may contain BPA," explains Cheryl Lyn Walker, Ph.D., a professor of carcinogenesis at MD Anderson Cancer Center and past president of the Society of Toxicology. Swicth to glass jars of boxed tomato sauce. Nearly all brands tested in 2009 contained BPA.
Last but by no means least on the list, and one close to our heart is mattresses. Most mattresses are treated with possibly toxic flame retardants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which have been linked to learning, memory, and behavioral problems, according to Lunder.
The EWG advises opting for products that haven't been treated with brominated fire retardants and choosing less-flammable materials, such as wool. Organic mattresses use tightly weaved fabrics such as organic cotton and naturally flame resistant organic wool to achieve fire resistance naturally. Organic mattresses are also a more popular choice for people with allaergies.
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