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Fashion for them from America came to other continents, acquiring supporters and turning into a new philosophy of life. What are “organic” products and is there a big difference between them and what we are used to seeing on our table?
They are called differently – “organic” or “environmentally friendly”. In England and the USA they are labeled “organic”, in Switzerland – “bio”, in Germany – “oecologisch”, in France – “issue d’agriculture biologique”. The popularity of such products is growing all over the world, the reason for this is our concern for the environment, information about the dangers of using nitrates, herbicides or pesticides, as well as the fact that many metabolic disorders and diseases of an immune nature can be associated with an overabundance of chemical constituents in food, and therefore in our body.
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Fruits of civilization
Red-flanked mangoes, glossy apples, fresh tomatoes, strawberries and grapes are available all year round. We are so used to it that we don’t even think about where, for example, young potatoes come from in the middle of winter. Or how grapes shipped from somewhere far away in Argentina can survive all the hardships of the journey, go through warehouses and customs, and still look so fresh. In fact, many fruits, fish or birds that fall on our table grow in the same artificial conditions and are just as far from nature as we ourselves, the inhabitants of megacities. What we eat is mostly so-called modified foods. An example is milk, which lost almost all useful substances during technological processing and then was re-enriched with vitamins. Vegetables and fruits, which we always associate with something natural, are not only grown using chemicals, but also undergo “pre-sale preparation”. In order for them to be stored and transported, the fruits are treated with gas, irradiated, immersed in fungicidal baths – this allows you to slow down the ripening process, prevent the appearance of mold and the reproduction of parasites.
Gene-modified foods – risk or benefit?
An almost anecdotal example: during a socio-survey, the majority of our respondents, ordinary people, to the question: “Why do you think that eating genetically modified foods is dangerous?” – gave the answer: “Because they contain genes.” This level of representation makes it possible to manipulate the arguments for and against, using them for commercial and even political purposes. And the question of whether genetically modified foods are dangerous or safe requires high competence. After all, the purpose of their creation is not just to improve consumer properties. These technologies make it possible to obtain milk with the properties of a vaccine, rice in which vitamin A is synthesized – these products can rid entire nations of diseases. All genetically modified foods undergo rigorous safety testing. As a scientist, I would not guarantee that in the distant future there will be no negative effects associated with a genetically modified product. Such unpleasant discoveries happen regularly, for example, after years of drug research. But now science does not have any evidence that all genetically modified foods are harmful.
Svetlana Borinskaya, Candidate of Biological Sciences, Researcher at the Institute of General Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Chemistry and Life
“About half a century ago, when simple inorganic fertilizers were widely used to increase crop yields, nitrates or phosphates were considered quite harmless,” says a nutritionist nutritionist * for Healthy Nutrition. Marina Popovich. “These chemical compounds work very simply: they dissolve in water and are absorbed directly by the root system of the plant. It turns out a kind of chemical doping, “sitting down” on which the plant loses its ability to more complex processes of assimilation of nutrients from the soil itself. The use of chemicals on an industrial scale has led to a decrease in the “immunity” of plants – the ability to resist diseases, pests, and survive among weeds. Thus, the use of chemical fertilizers led to the emergence of herbicides (to control weeds), pesticides (to control diseases), insecticides (to kill pests). But all of these compounds are inherently toxins.” At low concentrations, the human body quite successfully neutralizes them. But many of them tend to accumulate in the body. “Approximately 70 different chemical compounds are used to make food in the United States,” says Dr. Walter J. Crinnion ND, American naturopathic therapist. – Approximately 250 of them we can detect and recognize in blood plasma. Doctors have proven the harm of some of them, such as the pesticide DDT, and it has ceased to be used in US agriculture.” It was the Americans who first realized the harm from the use of such a large number of chemicals and began to look for an alternative. One of the solutions was found with the help of genetic engineering specialists. Genetically modified products make it possible to practically avoid the use of chemistry: high yields and good immunity are embedded directly in their genes. Genetically modified foods are widely used in the United States. This is of concern to some medical professionals: they associate the growth of various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract with this fact.
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Progress Alternative
It seems that in the field of food production, as in other areas of life, we have become fundamentally dependent on technological progress. The introduction of any new chemical or technology entails the need to invent the next – to neutralize side effects. At each next technological turn, the production of products goes further and further away from nature, and the natural mechanisms of interaction between plants, animals, and soil are violated.
In this sense, the production of ecological products is the only alternative that allows you to get out of this vicious circle. What is it? It is generally accepted that the idea itself originated in the United States: the first companies for growing and selling organic products appeared there back in the mid-80s. Their principles were: the non-use of chemicals and genetically modified crops, the rejection of antibiotics and hormones in animal husbandry and the free grazing of animals. Gradually this list is replenished. For example, they had to abandon machines that run on petroleum products and replace them with electrical mechanisms or manual labor. Abandon the cultivation of monocultures, and rotate plants in such a way that they support each other’s vitality. To control pests, use ultrasound, traps, and find natural biological enemies for them. Introduce special norms: how many cows, chickens, pigs can graze on one hectare of land for their best health; what should be the minimum and maximum period of their life. To control all these nuances, independent commissions have been created, patronized by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture (IFOAM). There is a separate list of standards on how to store, package, and transport organic products that do not contain any antioxidants or preservatives and spoil rather quickly.
Price of happiness
In short, organic products will be expensive. More expensive than usual at least 1,5, or even 10 times. It may be worth it, but how can you be sure that the product is really “organic”? “The only sign by which these products can be identified is the certification badge,” says Marina Popovich. – Unfortunately, different countries use different markings, there are no common standards yet. Therefore, Europeans try to buy such products in specialized stores or special sections of supermarkets – only for organic products. These products are more expensive, but their nutritional value is higher. Organic vegetables and fruits are richer in bioflavonoids and contain a higher concentration of minerals and trace elements – 1,5–2 times higher than ordinary ones. And the level of iron content can be 4 times higher. Organic meat contains 5-10 times less fat than regular meat, and it contains 10 times more unsaturated fatty acids. This helps to normalize blood cholesterol levels, which is very important for those who have weight problems.”
Environmental thinking
So, ecological products are tasty and healthy. At the same time, they are very expensive and cannot be grown in such quantities as to provide for everyone: ecological production cannot compete with high-tech production in terms of speed and intensity. At the same time, we constantly overproduce and “overconsume” some products, while depleting natural resources and suffering from excess weight.
Ecological products are not a luxury. And not a necessity. This is an opportunity to build a different relationship with nature, a relationship that is consistent with the concept of continuous development: where taking care of our immediate needs does not jeopardize the ability of future generations to live in satisfaction of their needs. This is how Walter Crignon, the owner of a small “organic” garden, formulates this principle of harmony: “It begins with a purely selfish desire: “Nature, I do not poison your life, and you do not poison me” – and gradually turns into a philosophy: “I respect I care for and cherish you, and you nourish and delight me.
*A nutritionist is an expert on the nutritional value of foods.
Health and “growth hormones”
The so-called “growth hormone” is used in animal husbandry to speed up certain vital processes in the animal body. For example, a synthetic hormone that is injected into cows to get more milk. By itself, this substance is a powerful biostimulant, which, when ingested, can cause uncontrolled cell growth. The doses that enter our body with meat are considered to be insignificant, but still it can be called one of the factors that increase the risk of benign and malignant tumors. Another example is anabolics, stimulants for the development of muscle tissue. They are used in the cultivation of meat breeds of animals and poultry, say chickens (recall the well-known “Bush legs”). Once in the human body, anabolics can cause disruption of the endocrine system. The fact is that the endocrine system is a closed circuit in which everything is very balanced. An excess of some hormones can lead to changes in the levels of others. This especially affects the reproductive system. A well-known fact: in men, the consumption of anabolics is often accompanied by a decrease in the production of their own testosterone, sexual function is suppressed. In women, an excess of these hormones can lead to menstrual irregularities.
Natalya Kalinchenko, Candidate of Medical Sciences, employee of the GU ENTS RAMS, consultant of the Grunwald eco-supermarket.