So You Think Organic Means Healthy

By : | Comments Off on So You Think Organic Means Healthy | On : March 25, 2015 | Category : Caveat Emptor

They say the United States is the land of opportunity. Like the opportunity to pull the wool over gullible peoples eyes. The opportunity to scam people into believing unhealthy products are healthy or at least healthier.

A prime example are products labeled organic. Organic isn’t restricted to foods.

Organic Foods

Most people associate organic with foods grown with natural fertilizers, without antibiotics, preservatives, and artificial ingredients. Good, wholesome food before global food manufacturers and the chemical industry moved in.

Many organically grown foods and plants used for other organic products can be a healthy substitute for chemical filled foods and products, organic goes beyond healthy fruits and vegetables. Junk food is junk food whether it’s organic or not. Organic potato chips made with sea salt is no better for you than non-organic potato chips when it comes to your waistline. The potatoes may be free of chemical pesticides and herbicides, but the end product (fried potatoes) have as just as many calories as other potato chips.

And don’t be mislead thinking sea salt is a healthier alternative to table salt. Mined salt  used to make table salt came from an ancient ocean millions of years ago. Salt obtained from a sea or ocean may have a few trace minerals, but it has the same amount of sodium as table salt.

The type of salt used in any product isn’t as important as the amount of salt used. Eating a high sodium diet has been shown to elevate blood pressure which increases your risk for heart attack and stroke. Even the long recommended 2,300 mg of sodium per day is being challenged by some experts wanting to reduce total daily sodium consumption to 1,500 mg per day.

So check the nutrition facts label when you buy organic processed foods. Most potato chips have 150 mg of sodium per one ounce (28 g) serving. If organic potato chips have less sodium it is a heather alternative but organic or not, potato chips provide 1bout 150 calories per serving.

Potato chips-organic

Organic Cigars and Cigarettes?

Cigar

To take organic one step further, you can now but organic cigars, cigarettes, and tobacco. I’m not kidding. Do an internet search if you don’t believe me. If you smoke, and you shouldn’t, you can get tar and nicotine from organically grown tobacco. Could the next step will be organically grown opium and heroin?

To make matters worse, corporations are pressuring Congress to water down (deregulate) the requirements for organic to allow not quite organic ingredients and yet still be able to label the end product organic.

Buying Organic Doesn’t Guarantee Food Safety

Amy’s Kitchen, know for its organic products recently recalled 73,897 cases of frozen products made with organic spinach possibly contaminated with listeria. Listeria is a pathogen that can cause serious illness and even death especially to young, elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.

You can read more about the recall and listeria by clicking here: Nutrition Action Post

Click here for the FDA recall and products recalled: FDA Recall Press Release

Buyer Beware

It is regrettable that in the United States nothing is exactly what it seems to be.

Corporations will use any means at their disposal to sell their products. And by changing or eliminating laws and regulations restricting marketing claims and keeping consumers ignorant of what terms like natural, organic, healthy, nutritious, and whole grain really mean they make products appear to be heather than they really are.

Not only are these marketing practices deceptive, they also cost consumers billions of dollars per year.

It may be certified organic, but junk food is still junk food and organic cigarettes still cause lung cancer and other respiratory dieeases.