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Studies have found organic is better

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published January 4, 2007

Re: 'Organic' may not mean 'healthy," letter Jan. 1

I would like to respond to some points a reader recently made regarding whether organic foods are actually healthier. The writer made some intelligent points but seemed to focus on the extreme examples of organic foods posing health problems.

First, studies have found that organic foods do carry more nutritional value, including higher levels of calcium and potassium, than their nonorganic counterparts.

Second, in regard to parenting, a University of Washington study showed that pesticide levels in children eating nonorganic, conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, were considerably higher than in children who have organic diets. This is important considering that chemicals are up to 10 times more toxic in the bodies of developing infants and children, according to a report by the National Academy of Sciences.

Third, the writer, by focusing only on the nutritional value and pricing of organic foods, has taken a limited view. Organic farming, which relies on time-tested methods such as crop rotation, is healthier for the environment. For example, conventional farming has been known to deplete the earth so much that farmers must abandon farmlands and find new land that is not contaminated. For more evidence of the damaging effects of conventional farming, one simply needs to pick up a copy of the book Silent Spring.

Finally, in response to today's foods extending people's average life spans, I would argue that advances in medicine and technology, not today's food choices, are largely responsible for people living longer. Much food is processed, fatty and fried. About $25-billion is spent a year on snacks.

Overall, while there is no absolute proof that buying organic food is going to make you healthier than consuming nonorganic products, I would like to remind you that scientists and government officials not too long ago believed that DDT and other harmful carcinogens were the best thing since sliced bread when it came to agriculture.

I don't know about you, but I'm not willing to be the guinea pig in the next wave of experiments with pesticide-laden foods and genetically engineered goodies.

Steve Haberlin, Spring Hill

Re: Store owner wants you to go green, organic Dec. 29

To save a few bucks, animals neglected

One of the most dramatic changes in American food production over the past several decades has been the rise of factory farming. Gone are the days when most chickens and pigs roamed freely on family farms. Today, most of the meat, eggs, and dairy produced in the U.S. come from industrial facilities that bear no resemblance to what most of us would call a farm.

In a reckless quest to increase production and cut costs, factory farms raise animals in intensive confinement. Today, nearly 300-million egg-laying hens are kept in wire cages so small the birds can't even spread their wings. Each hen will spend up to two years on floor space smaller than a sheet of paper. Mother pigs in this country are similarly confined. Kept in metal crates barely larger than their own bodies, these intelligent animals' social and physical needs are severely and routinely frustrated.

Each one of us can help prevent these cruelties. To learn more, visit HumaneEating.com.

Katie Carrus, Humane Society of the U.S., Washington, D.C.

Re: At home, they're sheriff's boys; out there, they're men Dec. 25

Sheriff deserves praise, thanks

Thanks to staff writer Jonathan Abel for the way he portrayed Sheriff Richard Nugent and his family.

Now people can see for themselves the honest, real and compassionate man he is. There's nothing false about him. He is our sheriff for all of Hernando County. Everyone is treated the same.

His entire family has shown morals that everyone's family should have.

He does not toot his own horn. When he makes a drug bust, he gives credit to the officers.

We are so lucky to have Sheriff Nugent. Instead of people complaining about our sheriff, give thanks to him for protecting us.

Nancy Wilson, Spring Hill

Your voice counts

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[Last modified January 4, 2007, 07:39:14]