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Better Choices

Study: Organic Grains Offer Superior Nutrition than Conventional or “Natural”

True, organic is slightly more expensive. This is primarily because it is not subsidized by the government in the same way that conventional food is.

But what rarely gets mentioned is that organic also offers superior nutrition.

In two research reports recently completed by The Organic Center, which examined the nutritional differences of organically farmed grains compared to “natural” and conventional varieties, the authors concluded that commercially produced organic breads are more nutrient-rich, contain more whole food ingredients and have fewer preservatives and additives than conventional breads.

Additionally, organically grown wheat can contain a higher nutrient content than wheat grown using conventional farming practices.

Some of the specific findings from the two reports include:

• 63% of organic bread ingredients were found to be significant sources of important nutrients, while only 27% of conventional bread ingredients were nutritionally beneficial.

• On average, organic breads examined contained 49% whole food ingredients vs. 24% in “natural” breads and only 12 percent in conventional breads.

• Preservatives and additives made up 27% of ingredients in the conventional breads versus only 10% in the “natural” and 7% in the organic breads.

• With fewer inputs and not having to use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, organic crops must rely on their own natural defenses, which can help increase their antioxidant content.

• Organic farming can also encourage more robust roots, allowing for the extraction of nutrients deeper in the soil. The presence of mycorrhizal fungi in organic soil can help increase the uptake of nutrients as well.

• On average, 75% of nutrients are lost when a grain is refined and hulled, making refined bread options like conventional white bread far less superior in nutritional content.

MY TAKE

In this country, a false expectation has been created that food is supposed to be cheap, and as a result, many people are reluctant to pay extra for organic.

Therefore, it is up to each one of us to re-frame the conversation when it comes to the cost of organic.

We must inform people that spending slightly more for organic means that they are getting a product that also has more nutritional value.

As The Organic Center has correctly pointed out in its studies, organic wheat is just not the same as conventional wheat. This is the important message that needs to be shared.

To read both reports from The Organic Center – Daily Bread and With The Grain – click HERE.

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Want to know my 5 Top Inexpensive Ways To Shop Organic?

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Living Maxwell

Better Choices

Another Reason to Eat Organic — The Water Supply in the Midwest is Becoming a Serious Health Risk

I got a comment from someone the other day who said “Why should we care about GMOs (genetically-modified organisms)? Let them grow what they want. It doesn’t impact the people who eat organic.”

Unfortunately, this individual could not have been more wrong.

GMOs impact everyone, including people who eat 100% organic, and a recent study from the Pesticide Action Network confirms this.

Water sampling results from communities across four Midwestern states — Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota — indicate Atrazine is present in drinking water at levels well above those linked to birth defects and low birth weight.

WHAT IS ATRAZINE AND WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT

Present in 94% of our water supply, Atrazine is a toxic weed killer and 76 million pounds of it is dumped onto our farms each year, mostly for corn.

And the health effects of Atrazine?

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A message from Tradin Organic

How Tradin Organic is Helping Coconut Farmers in The Philippines

For more than a decade, Tradin Organic has been working with local partners in The Philippines to bring a diversified range of organic products to the market, such as coconut oil, tropical fruits and even cocoa.

The company is helping to support local farmers by assisting them with technical support and organic certification, in addition to paying Fairtrade premium on top of the organic premium.

Learn more.

Living Maxwell

Better Choices

What You Need to Know About Buying Organic Food in Cans

While I promote organic food as much as I can and want to help the industry prosper, I also feel a need to educate and inform my readers.

Without question, organic food is the healthiest food that exists and is something that I believe can feed the planet. However, sometimes the packaging of organic food products is not always the best.

I have talked a lot in the past about my aversion to plastic bottles. Aside from the fact that they are horrible for the environment, they are also hormone (endocrine) disruptors.

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Living Maxwell

Better Choices

Organic Kaffir Limes – WOW, These are Amazing!

A while ago I did a story on gold nugget mandarins and when I saw this unknown fruit above, I couldn’t help but think of them because of the similarity of the rind.

And just as I had never seen gold nugget mandarins before, the same was true with these organic kaffir limes.

When I started asking the woman at my local organic market about kaffir limes, she quickly asked “Do you want to try one?”

With a bit of reluctance, I said “Ok, I guess.” After all, eating limes isn’t something that I normally do.

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