The original definition of the word organic from the 18th century is: “the condition of being ordered as a living being.”
While a blow drier, a fork, and a toenail clipper are not organic, yet, we now have organic Oreos, organic water, and organic Kraft mac and cheese.
Manufacturers know that consumers see the word organic and assume it’s healthy, regardless of what it is. As Josh Bloom. a senior director of chemical and pharmaceutical sciences at the American Council on Science and Health, recently wrote for the Chicago Tribune “Market research seems to have reached the conclusion that many people will simply not buy anything that is not organic. So, let’s make everything organic!”
Did you know you can buy organic water now? Water is H2O. H2O literally means each molecule of water contains two atoms of hydrogen (H) joined to one atom of oxygen (O). The original definition of the word organic from the 18th century is: “the condition of being ordered as a living being.” In order for something to be organic, as in alive, it needs carbon. So water, by definition is inorganic.
And just to be very clear, just because something is marked organic doesn’t automatically mean it’s healthy, or that it’s healthier than foods not marked organic.
“Here are are some chemicals that are permitted for use in organic farming:
Copper sulfate, boric acid, elemental sulfur, sodium hypochlorite (bleach), ammonium carbonate and magnesium sulfate.
What do these have in common? Chemically, not one of them is organic.
Here’s another list:
High-fructose corn syrup, aspartame, red dye No. 40, glyphosate, BPA, neonicotinoid insecticides and genetically modified foods (all of them).
What do these have in common? Chemically, every one of them is organic. Which brings up an interesting paradox: Crops that are protected from insects by copper sulfate (not organic) are permitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be called organic, while the same crop that is protected by neonicotinoids (organic) is not permitted to be called organic.”
For more than a century concerned consumers have been aware that the synthetic pesticides of conventional farming leave heavy metals in the ground. But it’s been an industry secret that the same toxins are in organic soil. It also appears to be a secret to most consumers that it’s not just conventional farming methods that are an issue.
Scientists have known since the 1920s that organic fertilizers used by farmers to supplement conventional systems—composted animal manure, rock phosphates, fish emulsions, guano, wood ashes, etc.—further contaminate topsoil with varying concentrations of heavy metals. Organic advocates, who rely exclusively on these fertilizers, remain well aware of the problem today, even though this appears as well to be an industry secret.
in 2007, researchers conducted an analysis of wheat grown on various farms in Belgium; based on the results, they estimate that consumers of organically grown wheat take in more than twice as much lead, slightly more cadmium, and nearly equivalent levels of mercury as consumers of wheat grown on conventional farms.
Heavy metals are now being found in USDA certified organic foods, superfoods, vitamins, herbs and dietary supplements at alarming levels. Neither the USDA nor the FDA have set any limits on heavy metals in foods and organic foods
The implications of this fact cannot be overlooked. The human body naturally contains trace amounts of heavy metals, but when they accumulate faster than the body can excrete them, several serious health problems can follow, including cardiovascular and neurological disorders as well as kidney and liver damage. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a division of the U.S. Public Health Service, cites fruit and grain consumption as the leading cause of lead exposure in the general population.
The answer is simple. Don’t just look for a key word like “organic” but instead read nutritional panels, know what you are eating and what nutrients it’s providing. I’ve learned by working on a food product that it’s more important to look for natural healthy food ingredients that are tested free of heavy metals, hormones, pesticides and herbicides, stimulants, preservatives, genetically modified ingredients or synthetic contaminants than to just buy foods that claim they are organic.
“If you are any more confused than when you first read this, don’t feel bad. That was sort of the point.” ~Josh Bloom senior director of chemical and pharmaceutical sciences at the American Council on Science and Health.
Sources
- Organic Oreos? A chemist explains what ‘organic’ really means (all quotes from Josh Bloom) http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-organic-food-oreos-science-perspec-0705-jm-20160701-story.html?source=acsh.org
- http://www.lowheavymetalsverified.org
- http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/green_room/2008/09/rusted_roots.html
- http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/07/31/428016419/toxic-lead-contaminates-some-traditional-ayurvedic-medicines
- https://getiqed.com/blogs/food-for-thought/102823873-organic-food-and-heavy-metals
- http://www.alternet.org/environment/why-food-labelled-organic-no-guarantee-safety-shocking-levels-heavy-metals-found