In yet another study, we have more evidence that organic is the healthier choice.

A recent report out of the University of Barcelona claims that organic tomatoes have a higher amount of antioxidants than conventional tomatoes.

Researchers used liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry to determine that organic tomatoes have a greater amount of phenolic compounds or polyphenols. Polyphenols, which are natural antioxidants of plant origin, are associated with the prevention of cardiovascular and degenerative diseases, and some forms of cancer.

There are two interesting aspects of this study.

1) The researchers determined that the differences between organic and conventional tomatoes are due to the manure used in each farming method.

According to Anna Vallverdú Queralt of the University of Barcelona, “Organic farming doesn’t use nitrogenous fertilizers. As a result, plants respond (to stress) by activating their own defense mechanisms, thereby increasing the levels of all antioxidants.”

2) This organic tomato report is a follow-up study of something that I wrote about a while ago – that organic ketchup has higher antioxidant activity than conventional ketchup.

In the production process, there were lower levels of polyphenols, so the researchers had to determine that the differences were in fact from the raw material. This new finding proved that it was.

MY TAKE

Although the price of organic may be slightly more expensive, mostly because organic does not receive the same amount of subsidies from the government, you are also paying for a food that has greater nutritional value. Organic tomatoes and conventional tomatoes are just not the exact same food.

Furthermore, organic tomatoes are not sprayed with toxic pesticides.

This report on tomatoes does not surprise me in the least and is just more confirmation that organic is the superior option.

The reason that he is saying this is because sprouts have incredibly important health properties.  They have very high levels of nutrients and enzymes, which provide the body valuable energy to detox and strengthen the immune system.

The other key benefits of sprouts include:

- Increased vitality, energy and vigor from the large amount of enzymes.

- 10 to 100 times more enzymes than fruits and vegetables when eaten within the first seven days of being sprouted.

- Powerful antioxidants which help fight free radicals and aging.

- The minerals and nutrients are easily absorbed into the body.

While there are many excellent sprouts, there is a specific reason why I buy organic broccoli sprouts.

What broccoli sprouts offer is sulforaphane, a powerful anti-cancer compound that helps fight and reduce the risk of developing cancer.

Dr. Paul Talalay, Professor of Pharmacology at Johns Hopkins University, found that 3-day old broccoli sprouts consistently contained 20 to 50 times the amount of chemoprotective compounds than those found in mature broccoli heads. And sulphoraphane is the reason why.

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The President’s Cancel Panel report estimates that 41% (PDF File) of Americans will get cancer, and a large majority of those cases are environmental-related.

Even though I eat pretty much 100% organic, I am still exposed to many, many toxins by living in New York City and my mother passed away from cancer. Therefore, eating foods that have serious anti-cancer properties is a priority for me.

So, if I can get 20-50x times the cancer protection from eating broccoli sprouts rather than broccoli as a vegetable, I’ll take that any day of the week.

The next time you’re in the produce section of your market, take a look at organic broccoli sprouts.

When you go into the produce section of Whole Foods, you’ll notice signs that say “ANDI Score” with a number associated with that respective food.

Created by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, ANDI stands for “Aggregate Nutrient Density Index” and ranks a food’s nutrient density on a scale from 1 to 1000.

The ANDI scores are calculated by evaluating an extensive range of micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities, and by dividing the nutrient level of a food by its caloric content (N/C).

As such, the motivation behind creating this index was to emphasize the importance of eating foods that are rich in nutrients on a per calorie basis.

For example, kale, a dark leafy green, scores 1000 while soda scores 1.

As provided by Whole Foods, here are the top 10 most nutrient-dense green vegetables and their respective ANDI scores.

1. Mustard/Turnip/Collard Greens – 1000

2. Kale - 1000

3. Watercress – 1000

4. Bok Choy/Baby Bok Choy – 824

5. Spinach – 739

6. Broccoli Rabe – 715

7. Chinese/Napa Cabbage – 704

8. Brussels Sprouts – 672

9. Swiss Chard - 670

10. Arugula - 559

MY TAKE

1) I think the ANDI scores are an excellent reference tool, especially when you are shopping and are not sure about which food to purchase.

That being said, it is just one assessment and it is not the only guide that a person should use when deciding which specific foods to eat.

Take walnuts, for example.

Regarded by many people as the best nut available, walnuts are amazing source of omega-3s, manganese and potassium. Furthermore, they have very strong anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, and contain a phytonutrient, the quinone juglone, that is not found in almost any other commonly-eaten foods.

Yet, walnuts only have an ANDI score of 34 and are rated as the 8th highest, nutrient-dense nut.

Another point to remember: Just because greens have the highest ANDI scores, this does not mean that greens should comprise one’s entire diet.

As legendary natural healer Dr. Bernard Jensen believed, the diet should consist of a rainbow of colors – meaning that we need foods that contain all of the colors.

2) When I went to go see Dr. Joel Furhman speak at the Whole Foods Wellness Club in Tribeca, he said that there was no distinction between the nutritional value of non-organic and organic foods.

I strongly, strongly disagree with him on this point for two reasons.

1) Recent research points to the contrary

A study completed at Washington State University regarding strawberries and the one at the University of Barcelona regarding tomatoes demonstrate the organic has higher levels of nutrients and antioxidants.

2) Common Sense

Putting empirical evidence aside, nutrition is all about soil quality.

If your soil is nutritious, vibrant, healthy and filled with vital micro-organisms, the plant will be nutritious. And vice-versa.

Conventional agriculture ravages the soil by spraying it with toxic pesticides, herbicides and insecticides, and practices monocropping, the practice of growing the same plant year-after-year on the same land, which kills the soil’s ecology.

From a purely intellectual perspective, I just don’t know how anyone can make the argument that the nutrition levels could be the same. In my mind, it just doesn’t hold at all.

The reason for Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s stance on this matter, however, may be for a specific reason.

Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s mission is to improve the health of the broad population by getting individuals to switch to a heavy plant-based diet.

And if pushing organic as well would dissuade people from eating more plant-based food because they can’t afford or don’t have access to organic, it is not helping achieve his overall mission.

While I incorporate many, many plant-based foods in my diet, my agenda is different. I promote organic. Why?

Unquestionably, it is the superior food on the planet and does not contain toxic chemicals, genetically-modified organisms, and artificial growth hormones.

And among other things, organic agriculture treats the soil with respect, which in turn provides us with the highest nutritional food possible.

1) Practically every single day, I am doing four ounces of wheatgrass. A while ago, I wrote a post about my love/hate affair with wheatgrass but let me tell you something — it is back on in a big, big way!

When I don’t drink my four ounces, I just don’t feel the same. I don’t feel as clean and I don’t feel as healthy. My body is now actually craving the stuff.

2) On top of that, I am drinking green juice 4-6 days per week.

I always use a base of celery or cucumber and then add in one or two of the following: kale, asparagus, dandelion weeds, burdock, radishes, bok choy, and romaine. I never juice spinach because of its high oxalic acid content.

I mix up the green juice combination every single day, so it is never the same.

One of the things that Dr. Brian Clement of the Hippocrates Health Institute always talks about is to juice sprouts — because they are loaded with nutritional value.

To be honest, I haven’t been doing that at all but when I was in my local organic market the other day, the produce manager told me that he had just gotten in some beautiful sunflower sprouts (below). So, I decided to finally take the plunge.

Sunflower sprouts, or sunflower shoots, contain:

- Tons of Vitamins A, B, D, and E.

- Lots of protein.

- Minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and zinc.

- Chlorophyll, a blood purifier. It is great for the skin and hair, and also helps to detox the body by attaching to the heavy metals, such mercury and lead, and eventually releasing them.

And how did the sunflower sprouts add to the taste of the green juice above?

To be honest, it was hard to tell. There was so much kale in there (the color is unusually dark) that the taste of the sunflower sprouts was completely overpowered.

Including sprouts into my juices is definitely something that I will be doing a lot more of.

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Wondering what I use for a juicer?

I have the Green Star 1000 and absolutely LOVE IT. The Green Star 1000 masticates the vegetables, which reduces oxidation and maximizes nutrition levels. Furthermore, it juices wheatgrass – something that not all juicers can do.

There is no question that it is an investment but if you are serious about your health, a high-quality juicer is not an option. It is a necessity.

A video on this Green Star juicer is coming soon.

Last night, I was at Whole Foods Tribeca in NYC where renowned nutritionist Joel Fuhrman, M.D., author of the bestselling Eat to Live and host of the PBS show 3 Steps to Incredible Health, gave a lecture and also announced a new partnership with the Whole Foods Wellness Clubs.

Here’s a synopsis on both.

PARTNERSHIP WITH WHOLE FOODS

As I wrote about recently, Whole Foods launched a pilot program of five Wellness Clubs around the country.

This new partnership with Dr. Joel Fuhrman means that one his associates, Adam Fiterstein, M.D., will be onsite at the Whole Foods Tribeca Wellness Club on Mondays to give private consultations to members and to host lectures for both members and non-members alike.

The consultations include:

- Physical examinations and health assessments.

- Aggressive yet healthy weight loss protocols and strategies.

- Solutions to treat the underlying cause of medical problems to promote long-term success.

- Counseling on how to get and stay well with less dependence on medications using a progressive and effective nutritional medicine approach.

Even though the partnership as of now is only for the Whole Foods Wellness Club Tribeca, I heard that a similar type of partnership might be available soon at the other Wellness Clubs throughout the nation.

LECTURE

While I had never attended a Dr. Joel Fuhrman lecture in person before, I found his talk to be very informative and nearly everything he said really resonated with me.

First and foremost, Dr. Joel Fuhrman is not an extremist and I found that to be very welcoming.

There are many health experts, especially those in the raw food world, where there is absolutely no room for flexibility.

Despite the fact that Dr. Joel Fuhrman promotes a very plant-heavy, nutrient-dense diet, he also said to eat animal products 0-3 times per week. He probably doesn’t eat any animal products himself but didn’t completely rule it out for other people.

Other key parts of his talk that I found interesting or compelling:

- The superfoods for longevity that he recommends goes by the acronym GOMBBS.

Greens
Onions
Mushrooms
Beans
Berries
Seeds

- Micronutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, are what we should be focusing on. Health = Nutrients over Calories.

- Eating one mushroom and some onion every single day will decrease cancer rates by 60-80%.

(David Wolfe is a big fan of medicinal mushrooms, such as chaga and reishi.)

- He talked about the concept of resistant starches, of which beans are high in.

Resistant starches go all the way through the small intestine without getting digested, promote “good bacteria”, are associated with butyrate (which protects colon cells), improve insulin sensitivity, and help with mineral absorption.

- Nuts and seeds should be eaten with salads because they enhance absorption of micronutrients.

- The four high volume foods that Dr. Joel Fuhrman believes that we should eat are:

Raw Vegetables – beets, cucumbers, fennel, carrots, cabbage

Fresh Fruit – melons, grapefruit, apples, berries

Cooked Greens – brussels sprouts, beans, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli

Non-Green Vegetables – mushrooms, eggplant, onions, cauliflower, tomatoes

MY TAKE

Several key takeaways from last night’s event.

1) I love what Whole Foods is doing with these Wellness Clubs. It is taking an extremely proactive approach to helping people get healthier by emphasizing more plant-based foods in their diet, and offering cooking and wellness classes to the public.

And now, members will have access to private consultations with an MD on-site who understands nutrition and isn’t trying to push pills.

This is very unique.

2) I really appreciate Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s nutritional approach — heavy on the plants and a big emphasis on micronutrients.

He said something during the lecture which is 100% true, and I wish everyone truly understood.

We need to take control of our health and make the right decisions about what we eat because our government is not going to do it for us.

Avoiding cancer and heart disease is not that difficult. While genetics do play a small part, it mostly comes down to eating the right foods.

This research was the subject of much conversation in the organic industry because now we could point to objective, independent research that validated the superiority of organic.

Well, for those who still don’t believe that organic is a better option, maybe a recently released report from Spain will make them think differently.

In a study performed at the University of Barcelona Science and Technology Centres and reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, ketchup made from organic tomatoes proved to have higher levels of polyphenols than ketchup made from conventional tomatoes. (Polyphenols are biomolecules with antioxidant properties and protective effects in the human body.)

Researchers focused on the biochemical and metabolomic analysis of a range of branded ketchups and studied the environment in which tomatoes are grown.

Needless to say, their conclusion should not surprise any organic food advocate in the least.

The different agricultural management models, comprising a range of cultivation and fertilization techniques that vary between organic and conventional crops, impact the nutrient content of agricultural and commercial products.

The way in which organic tomatoes are grown results in a greater level of bioactive compounds and other metabolites. Like I say all of the time, it’s all about the soil.

If you nurture, nourish and treat farmland with respect and care, you get a very rich soil.

If you spray farmland with toxic chemicals and never rotate crops, you get a very poor soil.

It’s no real big mystery here, and this Barcelona study is empirically proving this to be the case. Again.

MY TAKE

Here we have another university research report declaring organic to be superior than conventionally-grown.

While organic may be slightly more expensive, largely because it is does not receive the same level of subsidies as conventional, consumers who continue to purchase non-organic will be paying more in the end. Why?

Because what they get does not have the same level of nutrition. And what good is eating food that is devoid of nutritional content?

I never eat food with the objective of simply trying to fill my stomach. My objective is to eat food that is going to support and strengthen my body.

As a result, I eat organic.

It’s not only a safer option, but it’s a more nutritious one as well.

I spend an inordinate amount of time learning about the healthiest and newest organic food products available. Through my research at the various trade shows (Natural Products Expo East and Natural Products Expo West are my two favorites), talking to industry contacts, roaming supermarket aisles, speaking with as many well-informed food people as I can and reading books, I have come to the following conclusion:

You can take almost any food in the world and some health expert will have something good to say about it while a different health expert will have something bad to say about it.

So, what I do is educate myself as much as I can and then make my own decision about whether I should be eating it or not.

The following five organic foods seem to be the most controversial. While books could be written on all of the foods below and by no means am I covering all of the pros/cons of each, I will try to highlight the most salient points.

TOFU

Tofu is huge in the vegan world as a meat alternative. Similarly, it is something that has been eaten in Asia for a long time and many people automatically say “Well, if they’ve been eating it in Asia forever and they’re healthy, how bad could it be?”

Many people have doubts about whether tofu is healthy or not because it contains phytoestrogens, which may disrupt the hormonal balance in both men and women.

There is even disagreement as to whether tofu is fermented or not. Fermentation seems to be the measuring stick as to whether a soy product is healthy or not.

My take: I used to eat a ton of organic tofu because my naturopath told me at the time that it was fine to eat. I have since switched my stance on this and almost never eat it now. I figured that with so much controversy, I was better off avoiding it.

The one exception is when I go to Sacred Chow and have the grilled Western tofu there. I’m sorry but I just can’t help myself. My good friend and chef/owner Cliff Preefer makes tofu better than anyone in the entire country.

If people are going to eat tofu, they need to quadruple check that they are eating organic tofu. Non-organic tofu is almost guaranteed to be genetically-modified and sprayed with tons of toxic chemicals.

PEANUTS

This one may surprise people. At the 2010 Natural Products Expo West Trade Show, Kris Fillat, the founder of the GoodOnYa Bar, gave me a whole education on peanuts as she puts them into two of her bars.

Our government allows a certain level of aflatoxin on peanuts. This means that a certain level of mold (yes, mold) may be present on the peanuts that are sold to consumers. This is for both organic and non-organic peanuts. Mold on peanuts can be mostly attributed to the humid climates of Georgia and Virginia, where many peanuts are grown.

Kris only uses Valencia peanuts. 90% of the world’s Valencia peanuts are grown in New Mexico, where it is very dry, and according to Kris, “You can almost be guaranteed that there won’t be any mold on those peanuts.”

My take: Just because a peanut is organic doesn’t seem to make it safe. Where it is grown matters equally as much, maybe more. As a result, I never eat peanuts unless they are organic Valencia peanuts.

Even still, I rarely eat them. Maybe the whole salmonella scare did a number on me but I have a very strong preference for Brazil nuts.  I LOVE Brazil nuts, and that is what I use in my nut milks.

KOMBUCHA

Next to coconut water, Kombucha might be the fastest growing drink in the beverage sector.

In case you don’t know what it is or haven’t been part of the craze, Kombucha is a fermented tea that many people believe has antimicrobial and and antioxidant properties. Some say that it improves hair, nails, and skin. Mostly, it is known for having “good bacteria” that aids in digestion.

Kombucha comes in very cool colors and flavors, and the most dominant brand is called GTs (above). The founder’s mother had an aggressive form of breast cancer and started drinking Kombucha every single day. According to the company’s website, the cancer stopped spreading, largely attributed to the Kombucha.

Many critics question the health claims. Noted physician Dr. Andrew Weil says that he has never seen any scientific study backing up the health claims made for it. He thinks it could have some antibiotic activity. This means that you could be “drinking” antibiotics, which could encourage development of resistant strains of bacteria.

My take: Since it has trace amounts of alcohol and I am not a drinker, I don’t buy it. Even if the alcohol concerns were not an issue, Kombucha has a good amount of sugar, which is required for the fermentation process. Refined sugar is something I try to avoid – it negatively impacts my mood and gets me depressed.

Some people are concerned about the Kombucha culture going bad and becoming a toxic fungus. Also, if Kombucha is prepared in non-sterile conditions, contamination may occur. This appears to be less of an issue if you are drinking Kombucha from one of the major, well-known brands.

SOY MILK

Soy milk is a very popular dairy alternative, and proponents point to its abundance of protein, fiber and isoflavones.

Like tofu, soy milk contains phytoestrogens. Additionally, every health expert I’ve ever talked to or learned from has said that all soy products must be fermented. Soy milk is not fermented.

My Take: Even if it is organic, I wouldn’t touch soy milk with a 10-foot pole.

Parents who are giving their kids soy milk, because of a desire to avoid dairy, need to investigate this very, very thoroughly. In my view, rice milks or nut milks are much better dairy alternatives.

AGAVE

Agave is the nectar that comes from the agave plant, which can mostly be found in Mexico and the surrounding areas. Agave looks like honey and is an alternative sweetener.

The are two main controversies around agave.

1) Raw foodists claim that there is a raw version of agave (no heat above 118 degrees is used in the manufacturing process) but many people have serious doubts about this. They do not believe that the nectar can be extracted from the plant without a serious degree of heat.

2) The more important issue is whether agave is healthy or not. Gabriel Cousens, MD, who runs the retreat center Tree of Life and has reversed Type II diabetes in patients in 30 days by putting them on a raw food diet, thinks that agave is just as bad as high fructose corn syrup. He believes that it is very, very high on the Glycemic Index.

My Take: I have cut way, way back on agave and only eat foods that have agave, notably some raw chocolate, on a very infrequent basis.

As a sugar alternative, I use and love coconut palm sugar. It is both sustainable and lower on the Glycemic Index.

Palm sugar was one of my Top 5 Organic Food Trends for 2011, and I believe its popularity is going to really take off this year.

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So, on Wednesday I made a visit to the local Whole Foods in Tustin to pick up a few things.  I love the experience that each Whole Foods delivers but this store is the most mind-blowing one I have ever stepped foot in.

I never thought I would say it but I must confess.  I now have Whole Foods envy.  How lucky are the people that get to shop here whenever they want.

Aside from the fact that it is a 68,000 square feet spectacle, I saw something that I had yet to see before — a special section where customers can sit down and consult one-on-one with a Healthy Eating Specialist.  All for free.

Several weeks ago, I profiled Whole Foods’ new Health Starts Here initiative and have been in constant conversation with many different store managers trying to get the inside scoop — do employees like it or not (in particular, those who work in the meat department), how are they going to roll it out, what are the internal training programs, etc.

One piece of feedback that I kept hearing was that there would be in-store training for customers on the program to answer their every question.

As I found out first-hand today, this in-store training comes in the form of Healthy Eating Specialists.

I got the opportunity to speak with Gerrie Adams, a Healthy Eating Specialist in the Tustin store, to learn more about what she does and how the program is going so far.

Q: Hi Gerrie.  First off, what is a Healthy Eating Specialist?

A: Hi Max.  It is a person hired by Whole Foods to work with both customers and team members.  Our goal is to help these people reach the next level of health in terms of their diet.

This means getting them to eat foods which are high in nutrients and also teaching them how to cook.  It is really anything that involves food and being healthier.

Q: Are Healthy Eating Specialists trained as nutritionists?

A: We are not nutritionists but most of us do have some degree of training in the field.  Yet, we are not here to act as a nutritionist nor do we do specific meal planning.

Healthy Eating Specialists are here to provide education about eating healthy.  We support the Engine 2 Diet and Eat for Health plan, both of which are part of the company’s Health Starts Here campaign.

It is our job to explain the importance of eating whole, fresh, organic, local and nutrient-dense foods and to assist people in incorporating these foods into their diets.  We’re here to help people eat and cook unprocessed foods.  So many individuals are used to eating food in a box and heating things up in a microwave.

All of us have heard for so long that we have to eat animal protein.  We all go straight to animal protein and worry little about what is on the side.

Health Starts Here is about changing the focus and reconfiguring the plate so that the plant-based products are in the center and the other items are on the side.  It is a complete reversal of the current way of thinking.

Q: Do you actually teach people how to cook?

A: Yes.  Two nights a week our taqueria turns into a demonstration area to show people how to cook.  We sell non-stick pans, colanders and cooking tools to help people get back to into cooking.

John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods, recently came out here and gave a presentation that had some startling data.  He said that in the 1970s we were spending about 30% of our income on food.  Now we are spending 8%.

We have come up with a whole new standard about what we think we should be spending on food.  This is because the food industry has designed products that are over-processed, cheap and convenient.

Q: Your in-store marketing literature says that people should reduce or eliminate animal products.  Is that the message you are conveying as well?

A: Yes.  We are encouraging people to have plant-strong diets.

Q: Will there be a Healthy Eating Specialist in each store?

A: In each of the larger stores, yes.  In the smaller stores, there will be Healthy Eating stations with books and information.  Team members will be trained in the programs so they can provide assistance when needed.

Healthy Eating Specialists from the larger stores will also be making consistent visits to the smaller stores.

Q: What has been the feedback so far with this program?

A: So far, it has been excellent.  Customers and team members are shocked that a supermarket would provide such a valuable service like this in the store.  They all say it is so needed.

Not a week goes by when I don’t get thanked and told how much this information has changed people’s lives.  They are losing weight and feeling better.  Most importantly, they now have an understanding of how to go about being healthier.

This program is all about Whole Foods getting back to its roots.  We want to be a place where people can buy their healthy foods, and we want to make sure they know what to do with them.

Thanks so much, Gerrie!

My take: I like the fact that there is such personal assistance to give people vital health information and that it is also free.  I hope other supermarkets and health foods stores follow Whole Foods’ lead.

Based on what I know, Health Starts Here is making a real positive impact on the health of our citizens and nothing could be more important.

Before entering the check-out line, I was looking at the marketing materials related to Whole Foods’ new Health Starts Here campaign — an initiative based on a plant-based, nutrient-dense diet.