Organic produce versus conventional. So is organic truly better?
It is known that pesticides in small amounts are virtually harmless, and while this is true, indeed, several questions should be raised and considered. First of all, effects of various pesticides can be cummulative. In other words, some of the pesticides are lipid-soluble, which makes them be retained in human body. With years of exposure, levels of these toxins accumulate in our bodies, causing various endocrine disruptions, mutations of DNA, which may result in the onset of carcinogenesis.
Second issue to consider is the following: Pesticides do indeed lower the nutritional content of the fruits and vegetables. Plants have their own means to defend themselves against the pests. They produce a variety of substances that repel or are lethal to the preying insect organisms. Some of these substances happen to be the nutrients that you and I call antioxidants. By applying artificial pesticides to the crops, we decrease their necessity to produce those antioxidant/ self-protective substances and thus, unwillingly, decrease their nutritional value.Note: Check out the Shoppers Guide to Pesticide Free Produce at: http://www.foodnews.org/