organic contraversy

Why do you eat organic foods? Or, do you eat organic foods at all? A few months ago an article was published that tried to compare the nutritional value of organic foods versus conventionally grown foods (a similar article was published in 2011). Let me spare you the suspense, they didn’t find much of a difference in the vitamin and nutrient content of produce; nor did they find a difference in the protein or fat content of organic and conventional milk. But is this why we eat organic foods? I thought we were supposed to eat organic foods in order to avoid eating pesticides and because it might be nicer to the earth, not because they had more vitamins.

Organic food is big business, and is growing. Between 1997 and 2010, U.S. sales of organic foods increased from $3.6 to $26.7 billion. A food is organic when it is grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers or routine antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic livestock are fed organic feed and have access to the outdoors, direct sunlight, fresh air and freedom of movement. Organic foods are also usually processed without irradiation or chemical food additives and not grown from genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

So we don’t find a nutritional difference between organic and conventional foods. What about pesticides? The study reported that pesticides were found in 7% of organic produce and 38% of conventional produce. Great! So here is at least one reason to eat organic foods: fewer pesticides.

One would assume that, with fewer pesticides, we would have more bacteria and pests. Aside from E coli, which carries a higher risk in organic foods, the research found no difference in bacterial contamination of organic versus conventional foods. (Here is another source that confirms that  the pesticides aren’t even killing what they are supposed to be killing.)

Actually, pesticide use appears to increase the risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria by 33-35%. Although this might not matter much because the over-use of antibiotics in humans is the major cause of antibiotic resistant infections in humans.

It’s important to know that this research, which was a review of many other articles, had some flaws. The samples of certain foods could not be standardized. For example, sampling milk that was pasteurized versus raw or collected in winter versus summer can have a significant impact on the results – and this was not standardized. Or, for example, some studies tested whole apples while others removed the peel. What we need is a long-term study of health outcomes of populations consuming mostly organic versus conventionally produced food, which would be very expensive.

Looks to me like eating organic foods might still be more beneficial than conventionally produced foods. But if you can’t afford, or don’t have access to organic foods then don’t worry too much. It’s still much healthier to eat conventionally produced food that you prepare yourself than it is to eat processed foods. Here is a downloadable list of the top foods that you should try to buy organic and top foods with the lowest pesticide count (not as important to buy the organic versions).

the antioxidant myth

Do you remember James Watson, of Watson and Crick DNA fame? Well, aside from turning into a racist homophobe, he has also dedicated the later part of his life to cancer research. Just last week he published a ‘cancer manifesto‘  railing against the future of cancer research and calling in to question the therapeutic benefits of anti-oxidants, suggesting that some forms of anti-oxidants (beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium) might even cause some types of cancer.

And Watson is not alone. Dr. David Agus, an oncologist who wrote a great book called The End of Illness, has been arguing against the over-use of anti-oxidants for more than a year. And here is another great resource that espouses the same message. 

We are urged to eat anti-oxidant rich foods because they neutralize free radicals that can damage DNA. But is this really true? Can we prevent cancer by eating more blueberries and broccoli? Watson and Agus argue that, in fact, instead of preventing or curing cancer, anti-oxidants might raise the risk of disease or early death. That, if we overload our bodies with antioxidants, it can prevent free radicals from doing what they are supposed to do, which is to kill damaged cells and invaders like bacteria.

But, when you think about it, its not surprising that anti-oxidants don’t cure or prevent disease. Look at who is sending us this message. Its usually coming from someone trying to sell you something. “Take this pill. Eat this product. Drink this elixir.” and you, too, can live forever. Did you really think that a martini could be made healthy by adding pomegranate juice?

Living longer and healthier is only achieved with equal parts effort and luck. You have to exercise, eat healthy, don’t smoke or do drugs or drink too much alcohol. These are all difficult habits, until you relent and just start doing them until they become your normal. You should still enjoy anti-oxidant rich foods, just eat them because they taste good, not because you think they will prevent cancer.

fertility, an interview with Dr. Shahin Ghadir

You know how sometimes you hear about women who, in their mid thirties, finally start trying to get pregnant and then are shocked that they don’t conceive naturally and are devastated that they might need medical intervention to make a baby? I was never one of those women. I don’t, at all, understand these women. Maybe its because I have studied the body for so long, or maybe its just my personality, but I never assumed that my body would just be waiting for me until I was ready to get pregnant.

Still, it didn’t occur to me that I could be, or should be, proactive about my fertility, until recently. So many women I know are using fertility treatments to assist in becoming pregnant- women that are much younger than I expected. So I decided to ask Dr. Shahin Ghadir about fertility. Dr. Ghadir, a friend of mine for more than 15 years, is a reproductive endocrinologist, double board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and assistant clinical professor at both UCLA and USC Keck Schools of Medicine. He is the perfect combination of kind, patient, and straight forward. I sat down with Dr. Ghadir to learn more.

Dr. Lustig’s Crusade

Dr. Lustig’s Crusade – is he fighting a losing battle?

Apropos Nina’s recent review of sugar and sugar substitutes – a leader in the fight against table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup additives recently publised his first book. “Fat Chance” may seem like pop-science but trust me folks, the data is also published and widely available. Fructose is not metabolized like glucose. It takes a toll on the liver and increases the lipids in our bloodstream further predisposing to heart disease. Dr. Lustig, is a Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at UCSF and the Director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) Program. If you’d like to learn more about his work, I highly recommend you watch his lecture which is available on YouTube. There are two versions: scientific (which I suggest for all) and less-scientific. This is not some boring video about nutrition. This thing has 3 million views! But if you really want the “skinny” (drum-beat) – just watch this short 60 minutes video from last year – although you will have to tolerate the Emmy®-award winning douche, Sanjay Gupta.