Toxic warriors: By choosing organic produce you reduce exposure to contaminants. Picture: thebittenword.com

It’s startling what comes out of the mouths of some health professionals.

A lecturer recently visiting Iowa City spoke of the importance of a healthy diet in preventing illness.

Preston Maring, a doctor with 38 years of medical wisdom under his belt, prescribes healthy, organic eating for his patients, arguing that treating illness is the past.

“Preventing illness is the future of health care,” he said. So far, so good.

The obstetrician and gynecologist even practises what he preaches, introducing a farmer’s market to his California hospital, a model soon copied by about 28 other medical outlets across the nation. Even better. A medical man with vision.

But Cathy Scanlon, a clinical dietitian, isn’t convinced about the value of organic food.  “I don’t think the American Dietetic Association is that big on organic food because we don’t have enough proof that it’s beneficial,” she told The Daily Iowan.

She points to the number of contaminants in our environment. “”We have so many chemicals in our body from the things we cook our food in, like non-stick coating on pans, that it’s pretty hard to get an actual pure food,” she said.

Sorry? Isn’t that a bit like saying “the boat is sinking, but let’s not bail out before it’s too late… we’ve all got to go sometime”? I don’t know about you, but I’d be bailing like hell.

One of the reasons it is so important to eat as much organic food as possible is precisely because there are so many contaminants in the environment. By choosing organic produce that has been grown without the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilisers, we help to turn the tide by:

• Reducing the contaminants that run off into the waterways where we drink, bathe and swim;
• Reducing the contaminants in the soils that feed us;
• Protecting eco-systems whose survival affects the future of this planet.

How can any of this not be beneficial? By encouraging more people to eat healthy organic fare, we encourage more farms to switch to organic farming, which can only have a snowball effect on the health of our environment and our bodies.

Cathy is right. There are so many chemicals we absorb that we can’t control. But rather than see this as an argument against the merits of going organic, the reverse should be true. We need to do our best to reduce the level of chemicals that we can control. Otherwise we simply leave a bigger poisoned chalice for the next generation.

Nothing prepared for dinner? Boil an egg. Need a nutritious breakfast? Try scrambled egg. No time? Bolt down an egg flip. But as versatile as they may be in the kitchen, there is nothing easy about selecting a carton of eggs.

For the past 30 years the egg has been at the forefront of campaigns by animal welfare activists, concerned about inhumane production. Debates have also raged about the egg’s fat and cholesterol content, pesticide and artificial hormone content and the risk of bacterial contamination.

The good news is that eggs are a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, including the essential nutrient choline. They are also a source of Omega-3 fatty acids, selenium and folate. They are pretty high in fat (less than a third of that is saturated fat) which is found in the yolk. The white is water and 13 per cent protein.

Breaking ranks: The variety of egg labels can be bewildering. Picture: canoncan

Cholesterol – friend or enemy?

In the 1980s, eggs received a bad rap for their high cholesterol content and were struck off the diets of many deemed at risk of heart problems. More recent research has shown that high cholesterol levels are far more likely to be caused by genetic and lifestyle factors and the consumption of saturated fats than eating cholesterol. Some medicos believe that eating eggs can actually lower cholesterol levels because they’re high in cholesterol but low in saturated fats, which can help shut down the body’s production of cholesterol.

But having decided it’s fine to eat eggs, the consumer still has to negotiate a way through all the cartons on offer, labelled with various claims about sizes, quality, production and nutrition.

And it does not help that some of the labels are meaningless. According to the Australian Egg Corporation, for example, the label “antibiotic-free” means nothing because all industry chickens are free of routinely administered antibiotics. If birds are given antibiotics by a vet, it says, there is a “cooling-off” period so they are unlikely get into the eggs.

The American egg industry says low levels of antibiotics are occasionally, but only rarely, used to prevent disease and ensure the health of laying hens. It says very few antibiotics are permitted and there is an economic incentive not to use them because of the cost. In the UK there has been more evidence of antibiotic residue in eggs from routine use on farms.

Similarly, the label “hormone-free” means nothing because hormones have been banned in poultry production in the developed world since the 1950s. However, many people still claim that eggs contain artificial hormones.

Battery hens top of the hit list

For the most part, though, the labelling refers to the methods of egg production and how the hens are kept, reflecting a widespread and growing public concern for the welfare of chickens, especially battery hens.

Since their introduction in the 1930s in the US, egg producers have regarded battery cages as the most efficient and hygienic way to produce eggs and the vast majority of commercial eggs are still laid by caged birds. Animal welfare activists say hens are kept in large numbers in small cages without the opportunity to walk around or engage natural behaviour such as nesting, dust bathing, perching, and foraging.

Battery hens also tend to suffer from osteoporosis and have bones that break easily. Their productivity is regulated by lighting and carefully measured quantities of protein rich feed, which is sometimes supplemented with colouring agents and medication. Birds often have their beaks cut to stop them pecking each other, and can be induced, by restricting their food, to artificially moult to make them lay more.

Supporters of battery farming contend that alternative systems, such as free-range, are costly and also have welfare problems, such as increases in cannibalism and injurious pecking, worse air quality and no scientifically proven decrease in chicken stress levels.

Nonetheless, many countries in Europe have now banned battery cages altogether and the European Union has ruled that conventional battery cages be phased out by 2012. They are to be replaced with enriched – or furnished – cages that are larger, house fewer birds and have nest boxes, dust baths and a perch.

What’s the alternative to caged eggs?

There is a plethora of labels advertising certification. All mean something slightly different in terms of hen welfare, but in general there are three main alternatives to cage eggs; barn laid, free-range and organic.

Barn laid or cage-free eggs are produced by hens that are loose-housed on litter but have no access to the outdoors. Barn houses also have nest boxes, perches and a dust-bath area and may be single-tiered or multi-tiered.

Free-range (or free roaming) birds are also loose-housed in barns or warehouses and have daily access to the outdoors as well (how much time the hens actually spend outside is also subject to debate, as is the size and quality of the outdoor yard).

The size of the flock and the range of housing is highly variable. Australian regulations stipulate that one metre of space has to be allocated for every 30kg of free-range or barn kept birds. In the UK for eggs to be called free-range, hens must have continuous daytime access to runs which are mainly covered with vegetation and with a maximum stocking density of 2500 birds per hectare. The US has no specific standards for free-range egg production. Both production methods may still employ beak cutting and forced moulting.

Organic egg production is on the rise. But it is not always clear what the label “organic” means so it pays to do your homework. In the UK alone there are 10 different organic certification bodies with varying standards. In general the minimum standards should ensure that birds are kept in free-range conditions with a diet free of pesticides, GMOs, animal-derived products and antibiotics.

In the UK routine debeaking is not allowed, but it is in the US. Some certification authorities allow the use of antibiotics under strict conditions in the case of illness. Some do not allow their use at all. Only natural moulting can occur within the flock. In most organic operations nesting boxes are placed above a belted system so roaming birds lay their eggs on the belts instead of on the ground.

If hens are allowed to genuinely free-range they will not produce vegetarian eggs since they eat insects and worms while scratching around outside. Eggs from pasture-fed hens have more folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin E and carotenes than grain-fed fowl and will often be a brighter yellow than other eggs (although the absence of artificial colours in the feed can often mean the opposite).

It all starts here: A healthy soil, free of nasty pesticides, is the only way to grow. Picture: Aramanda

For many people reading this, there is nothing alluring about soil, not even the sweet, consistency-of-crumbled-chocolate-cake organic variety. Like a jolly good pair of wellington boots, you can’t sex it up either. The idea of plunging a hand into tilled soil, deeply inhaling its richness and marvelling at the worms that twist about inside it probably has about as much appeal as the prospect of an intimate medical procedure.

So it can come as a surprise to learn that soil – and, more specifically the microscopic life it supports -    still plays a pivotal part in our physical wellbeing.  And now more than ever before, it plays a leading role in the health of the planet.

Subsistence farmers across the globe have probably known intuitively for centuries what a world-first study into organic farming concluded back in the 1940s; that the health of humans, animals and soil are one “indivisible whole” and that biological balance begins and ends with a “truly fertile soil”.

British organic farming stalwart Lady Eve Balfour published the findings in her book, The Living Soil, at a time when agricultural systems worldwide were moving away from the very “back-to-nature” concepts that organic farming espoused, towards high-input, high-yield production.

Her claim that conventional farming worked against, rather than with, natural systems, depleting the fertility of soil and the nutritional complexity and punch of the foods it yields, placed her right out there on the lunatic fringe.  It is a reflection of the changed status of the organic industry worldwide that Balfour and the likes of Prince Charles, once considered an odd and eccentric mascot for the British organic movement, are now widely seen as visionary campaigners in the global push for more sustainable farming.

The organic difference

So what, exactly, is it about organic soil that distinguishes organic produce from mainstream fare? Richard Mee, who runs an organic farm near Leicestershire in the United Kingdom, believes organic farming’s lower yields (production is between about 30 and 60 per cent less than conventional farming) and the “microscopic wildlife” in fertile soils holds the key.

“One theory is that foods grown in organic soil absorb more health-giving trace elements because there are more nutrients available and fewer plants competing for them,” he says.

Higher nutrient levels are the result of a system of crop rotation in which grass and clover lay down the foundations of the soil, introducing the life giving nitrogen that chemical fertilisers mimic. As one organic farmer put it: “Nitrogen from plants harnesses energy from the sun rather than from fossil fuels, which are used in chemical fertilisers.”

The grass and clover is grazed by livestock and nutrients from their waste provide further fuel for the soil, preparing it for planting. A single organic cycle starts with grazing livestock and ends after two to three years of crop growth – a process that takes seven years, with each cycle adding another layer of fertility to the soil.

“Conventional farming may have higher yields but the soil nutrients are diluted because there are more plants taking up the good stuff,” says Richard.

Microscopic organisms in the soil facilitate the plants’ absorption of trace elements but they are adversely affected by chemical sprays and fertilisers, he says. “The wildlife in the soil is what earthworms live on and the earthworms break down the soil, making it easier for plants to absorb the nutrients that are there.”

Soil alive with great bugs

According to the US-based Organic Trade Association, a single teaspoon of compost-rich organic soil can host between 600 million and one billion helpful bacteria from 15,000 species. The chemically treated equivalent can host as few as 100 bacteria.

Richard Mee says chemical fertilisers are deceptive. “These fertilisers promote lush growth but they make the plants much more susceptible to pests and disease. Our organic fields are not as lush but the plants we grow are stronger for it,” he says.

Truly fertile soil is the result of common sense and nature left very much to its own devices.  “It takes thousands of years to build soil up to this point but, unfortunately, only a few years to destroy it.”

According to the OTA, it takes 3000 years to naturally form six inches of topsoil and one inch of that is eroded every 28 years as a result of conventional farming practices. The association states that organic farming can produce the same amount of topsoil in as little as 50 to 60 years.

The idea that soils are complex and variable is illustrated by a single field on Richard Mee’s property, which incorporates three or four different soil types that relate directly to typography. Glacial soils on high ground contrast with low-lying soils that are typically “higher value and more workable”. Soils in valleys and swales emerged from ancient river beds and have higher drought resistance.

“Each soil type has a different degree of drought resistance, a different level of pest resistance built in to it,” he says, pointing out that organic farmers use these differences to their advantage rather than “throwing chemicals” at any shortfalls.

Cheap attitude costs dearly

The global push for higher and higher yields is playing havoc with the natural order of soils. “About 95 per cent of customers in the UK don’t care about the quality of the food they eat – they just care that it is cheap,” Richard says. “They would rather have another holiday in the year than spend their money on organic food – especially during an economic downturn.”

Organic butcher Jason Quittenton, 38, has worked on organic farms since his early teens and credits his unusual good health (he has never had a day off work due to illness) to the clean nature of the food he grows and eats. Raising a rare breed of short-horn cattle and growing his own produce on a farm near Coventry in the UK, he says cattle grown for the mainstream market are like a different species to the traditional breeds he raises for a select clientele.

“We go for quality rather than quantity – our animals grow slowly and we don’t hurry them along with drugs,” he says. “They graze on grass and clover grown in organic soil and you get nutrients from the soil in their meat the same way you get them from cows’ milk.”

Crops lose valuable nutrients

One of the world’s leading experts on soil microbiology, Dr Elaine Ingham, believes data from the United States Department of Agriculture showing a considerable drop in the nutritional quality of food produced in the US since the 1920s reflects modern agricultural practices.

A ten-fold decrease in micronutrients and proteins in commercially grown crops had occurred since inorganic fertilisers and pesticides were introduced, she says. While some argue this has more to do with new varieties of high-yield crops and food warehousing, others are less convinced.

David Younie, a senior organic farming specialist at the Scottish Agricultural College, believes high-yield crops produced today are lower in zinc, potassium, iron, magnesium, selenium and other important nutrients as a direct result of the widespread use of artificial soil fertilisers.

“With artificial fertilisers it is the crop that is being fed rather than the soil so you are only supplying the nutrients that are in the fertiliser and you are also creating an imbalance in the nutrient content of the harvested crop. The higher the yield of the crop, the lower the nutrients – there will be a deficiency one way or another.”

Beautiful beet: Treat it kindly and the rewards for your health and tastebuds are rich. Picture: Ayala Moriel

Spare a moment to consider – and pity – the poor beet. It has suffered an inglorious fate over the years. Pickled to within an inch of its life, sliced, diced, ruffled then retained in its jar for years on pantry shelves for its annual outing at Christmas.

It’s no wonder that many consider this overlooked but sensational vegetable is due for its moment in the sun. It’s almost as if the beet, or beetroot as it’s also known in some parts, was designed to be loved, despite its humble roots. Its leaves are heart shaped after all, and it leaves the cooks hands a blushing pink if care isn’t taken.

But somehow, somewhere along the way, the beet’s loveable side was ignored, in favour of boiling it to within an inch of its life before sousing it in harsh vinegars or pulverising it into borscht.

Thankfully, the resurgence in the popularity of beets through top chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Gary Rhodes has meant that keen cooks have taken a fresh look at this humble root.

Take your organically grown beet – and be prepared to be amazed at the choice out there. No longer are you restricted to the familiar, usually dirt-encrusted purple orb. There are fabulous colours, even stripey variants (Chioggia especially), as if specifically created to add interest and flavour to your plate.

Beets are versatile and kind when cooked; they can be peeled, steamed and then eaten warm with butter, or roasted and diced, ready to be added to a simple salad of feta cheese, lentils and lamb’s lettuce. Just remember to keep the skin on if you want to avoid murderous-looking hands when you handle them cooked, or wear gloves.

Health-wise, the beet could be said to have it all.

Since Roman times, it has been used as a treatment for relieving constipation and fevers, as well as giving oomph in the bedroom, too – it is well known as an aphrodisiac thanks to the high levels of boron it contains. Even these days, such is the strength of its health-giving qualities, some believe that beets and other vegetables high in beta-carotene may provide a key in the fight against HIV and other diseases.

In the 19^th century, beets were known as “blood turnip”, thanks to the way they would “bleed” after cooking, an irony since research has now shown that beets taken in juice form can help lower blood pressure levels.

For chefs and cooks however, the only thing that matters is the taste – and as long as they are organic and properly prepared (ie, not in a jar, swilling in malt vinegar), many would swear there’s nothing finer to offer as a mash, pureed with a slug of sour cream and some chopped dill, and served with strong game meat, like venison.

It is one of the sweetest of vegetables, complementing in its turn oily fish, such as mackerel, as a side salad, shredded with fennel and cumin seeds.

There will still be those who insist on keeping a jar of pickled beets on standby in their cupboard, next to the dill pickle and mango chutney. But to ignore the possibilities of this colourful, ancient and health-giving  little star of the kitchen would be a real crime.