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Is Organic Food Better Than Conventional Food?

The other day, it was my turn to prepare dinner, so I asked my wife to go over to the local market and buy some organic vegetables.

She came back rather upset. When I asked her what was wrong, she said, “I don’t think I like that produce guy. I went and looked around for your organic vegetables and I couldn’t find any. So I asked him where the organic vegetables were.”

“He didn’t know what I was talking about, so I said, ‘These vegetables are for my husband. Have they been sprayed with any poisonous chemicals?'”

“And he said, ‘No, ma’am. You’ll have to do that yourself.'”

There you go. Internet is a wonderful place to find jokes and find information about organic and non-organic or conventional food.

What is organic food?

Food grown without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers is called organic food. Most conventional farming relies heavily on artificial chemical fertilizers and pesticides. According to a report in the Environmental Magazine, of the 300 pesticides approved by the federal government, 73 (including some of the most frequently used) are “probable” or “possible” carcinogens (substances which cause cancer).

How do we know if organic foods sold in the stores are genuine?

Not every farmer can claim their produce as organic unless it meets certain government standards before they are certified as organic products. Most developed countries now have rules and regulations in place to enhance the quality and sustainability of the environment and to ensure safety of the consumers.

In Canada, as of June 30, 2009, the Organic Products Regulations require mandatory certification on agricultural products represented as organic in international and inter-provincial trade.

The number of farmers growing organic food is increasing each year. The Canadian Organic Growers (http://www.cog.ca/) has a diverse membership that includes farmers, gardeners, processors, retailers, educators, policy-makers and consumers. Not all the members run certified organic operations, but they share a vision for a sustainable bio-regionally-based organic food system.

In 2007, the Associated Press reported that five per cent of the overall U.S. gardening population grows organically. The number of organic gardeners will increase from five million to 8.1 million in next few years. Eighty-five per cent of organic food sold in Canada comes from the U.S. But no food, organic or conventional, can be sold in Canada unless it meets Canadian food safety standards.

Organic food costs little more than non-organic food. What the consumer wants to know is: Does it taste better? And is organic food actually healthier? Is it worth paying little more?

Taste is like beauty, it is very personal and individual. So you will have to decide for yourself if you think organic food tastes better.

Is organic food healthier than conventionally grown food?

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Nutritional quality of organic foods: a systematic review) came to the conclusion that there is no evidence of a difference in nutrient quality between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs. The small differences in nutrient content detected are biologically plausible and mostly relate to differences in production methods. The study was published in 2009.

Is it worth paying little more? Again it is a personal choice. If you think it tastes better and would prefer to eat food not contaminated by pesticides and fertilizers containing potentially harmful chemicals then it is worth it. Remember, Health Canada’s job is to make sure that organic and conventionally grown foods are safe to consume before they are sold in Canada.

Finally, do not forget to wash your fruits and vegetables before you eat them. And wash your hands too!

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Nuts – what about them?

You may ask, “What kind of a nut are you to ask such a question?”

The word nut has many meanings, depending on how you use it. The word can be used to express love, disgust or enthusiasm. It can be a fruit. It can be used as a slang to describe your head, testicles, your boss, your spouse, your foolish, silly or eccentric friend, an insane psychotic person and for tools like nuts and bolts. Well, I can go on and on at the risk of you saying, “You’re off your nut doc, make your point now.”

The point is, we are going to talk about a seed borne within a fruit having a hard shell, as in the peanut or almond.  We know that Mediterranean diet is good for your heart and brain. A Mediterranean diet is described as a diet rich in plant foods (vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts), including fish, some poultry, limited red meat, and primarily unsaturated vegetable oils.

Then there is the Portfolio eating plan. This is a vegetarian/Mediterranean-type diet with less than seven per cent of calories from saturated fat. It consists of 2000 cal/day. Besides other things, Portfolio diet requires you to eat 30 gm of almonds (one handful= 23 almonds = one ounce).

In general, nuts are a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids, plant protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, plant sterols and flavonoids, all of which have health benefits. Studies have shown that if you eat one ounce of nuts (¼ cup) or more per day then you can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 50 per cent. Isn’t that wonderful?

Studies of walnuts, almonds, pecans, peanuts, macadamias and pistachios show modest changes in blood lipid levels. Similar to other foods rich in unsaturated fat, nuts help maintain HDL (good cholesterol) levels. To control calorie intake, moderate quantities of nuts should be substituted for other foods, since one ounce of nuts (¼ cup) contains approximately 170 calories (Rakel: Integrative Medicine, 2nd ed.)

According to US Department of Agriculture, 68 per cent of the nuts eaten in the United States are peanuts and peanut butter, about six per cent are almonds, six per cent are coconuts, five per cent are pecans, five per cent are walnuts and 10 per cent are all other nuts combined.

Peanuts are considered to be mother-nature’s complete food. They belong to legume or dried bean family and are a great source of protein, fibre, a variety of vitamins and minerals and beneficial unsaturated fats. Since they are a plant food, they contain no cholesterol.

Harvard School of Public Health researchers report that consuming a half serving (one tablespoon) of peanut butter or a full serving of peanuts or other nuts (an ounce), five or more times a week is associated with a 21 per cent and 27 per cent reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, respectively (JAMA 2002).

Many studies have examined the eating patterns of both men and women and found that small, frequent servings of peanut butter, nuts and peanuts can reduce the risk of heart disease by 25-50 percent.

Americans consume 2.4 billion pounds of peanuts each year. About 50 per cent is consumed as peanut butter. Research published in Paediatrics shows that high risk overweight adolescents, ages 10-15, can lose weight while substituting an ounce of peanuts or peanut butter for other less healthy snack choices.

A serving of peanuts is simply a handful and is only 160 calories. And a serving of peanut butter (two tablespoons) contains 190 calories – just enough to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. In addition, studies show that peanuts and peanut butter satisfy hunger longer than other foods (www.peanut-institute.org).

So, have you gone nuts yet?

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Fibre, Flatulence and Weight Loss Diet

“Eat your porridge – it is good for you”

“Eat your fruits and vegetables – they are good for you.”

This is a common mantra given to people who want to eat a well balanced healthy diet. But, how often do we ask, “What does this really mean? Is there any science behind it or is it all hot air at the end of the tunnel?” You know what I mean.

Dietary fibre is found in plants. Fibre is composed of cellulose (a complex carbohydrate that is composed of glucose units, forms the main constituent of the cell wall in most plants), lignin (chief non-carbohydrate constituent of wood), pentosans (group of polysaccharides found with cellulose in many woody plants), pectin (water-soluble carbohydrate found in ripe fruits) and gums (viscid exudation from plants).

Fibre is divided into soluble and insoluble fibre.

Soluble fibre dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance. It is readily fermented by bacteria in the colon into gases and physiologically active byproducts. Sources of soluble fibre are oats, legumes (beans, peas, and soybeans), apples, bananas, berries, barley, some vegetables, and psyllium. More fibre you eat, more gas you produce. There is not much you can do about it except look over your shoulder and let it out.

Soluble fibre has now been shown to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels through a series of processes that alter cholesterol and glucose metabolism – reduces the absorption of sugar, reduces sugar response after eating, normalizes blood lipid levels and, once fermented in the colon, produces byproducts with wide-ranging physiological activities.

Insoluble fibre increases the movement of material through the digestive tract and increases stool bulk by absorbing water and easing defaecation, reduces transit time, thus preventing constipation which decreases the opportunity for both nutrients and fecal mutagens to interact with the intestinal lining. There is no fermentation by bacteria. Sources of insoluble fibre are whole wheat foods, bran, nuts, seeds and the skin of some fruits and vegetables.

Constipation leads to hemorrhoids and anal fissures. Although insoluble fibre is associated with reduced diabetes risk, the mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. Although many researchers believe that dietary fibre intake reduces risk of colon cancer, one study conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Medicine of over 88,000 women did not show a statistically significant relationship between higher fibre consumption and lower rates of colorectal cancer or adenomas.

The five most fibre-rich plant foods, according to the Micronutrient Center of the Linus Pauling Institute, are legumes (15–19 grams of fibre per US cup serving, including several types of beans, lentils, and peas), bran (17 grams per cup), prunes (12 grams), Asian pear (10 grams each, 3.6% by weight), and quinoa (9 grams).

On average, North Americans consume less than 50 per cent of the dietary fibre levels required for good health. Current recommendations from the United States National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, suggest that adults should consume 20–35 grams of dietary fibre per day.

Although fibre falls under the category of carbohydrates, it is low in calories. Regardless of the type of fibre, the body absorbs fewer than 4 Calories (16.7 kilojoules) per gram of fibre. In some countries, fibre is not listed on nutrition labels, and is considered 0 Calories/gram when the food’s total Calories are computed.

For weight loss, a diet rich in fibre from cereals, not from fruit and vegetables, is more likely to help limit weight gain, says Dr. Khursheed Jeejeebhoy, a well known gastroenterologist in Toronto, writing in the Medical Post (March 9, 2010). High-fibre breakfast reduces subsequent intake of energy, delays digestion and slows absorption. A Dutch study found that an intake of 10 g of total fibre per day was associated with a loss of 39 g of body weight per year and a reduction in waist circumference of 0.08 cm per year.

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A Close Look at Mediterraneaan Diet

Here is good news for the healthy and unhealthy hearts.

If you have been reading my columns faithfully and following the advice religiously (so to speak), then I guess you have settled down each evening for a hearty (pun intended) or an un-hearty meal supplemented with one to two ounces of red wine.

Bad news is red wine is not going to wash away all the cholesterol plaques you have collected in your coronaries. Those plaques are plugging your arteries. If your plate is typically filled with red meat and other foods rich in saturated fats (those that are firm at room temperature), then heart disease and cardiac death is awaiting you, my friend.

Good news is you can do something to change that so you can enjoy your favourite red wine for a long time. That magic bullet is Mediterranean diet.

What is a Mediterranean diet?

Dr. Stephen Choi, in an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, summarizes this quite well. He says, “Although there is no single “Mediterranean diet,” the term has come to represent a food pyramid consisting at the base of bread, pasta, rice and other whole grains, and potatoes, supplemented with fruits, beans, vegetables and nuts to which olive oil is added, along with cheese and yogurt. Fish, chicken, eggs and refined carbohydrates are eaten less frequently (weekly). Red meat is consumed infrequently. The whole pyramid is supplemented with moderate alcohol consumption.”

What is the proof that Mediterranean diet helps reduce heart disease and death?

Researchers from the University of Minnesota conducted a study in seven countries which started in 1958 and was first published in 1970. They found that heart disease was rare in the Mediterranean and Asian regions where vegetables, grains, fruits, beans and fish were the dietary mainstays.

In 1999, the Lyon Diet Heart Study compared the effects of a Mediterranean-style diet with one that the American Heart Association recommended for patients who had survived a first heart attack. The study found that within four years, the Mediterranean approach reduced the rates of heart disease recurrence and cardiac death by 50 to 70 percent when compared with the heart association diet. Isn’t that remarkable?

It is important to know that the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet is not really low in fat, but its main sources of fat – olive oil and oily fish as well as nuts, seeds and certain vegetables – help to prevent heart disease by improving cholesterol ratios, reducing inflammation and prevent the formation of artery-damaging LDL cholesterol.

Fruits, vegetables and red wine (or purple grape juice) have antioxidant properties and reduce bad cholesterol. Olive oil is a type of food that can easily replace commonly used animal oils, lard, and butters that are no good for one’s girth and health. One can use canola oil for cooking and use margarine based on canola oil. You can use more expensive and aromatic olive oil for salads.

Is Mediterranean diet good for weight loss?

There is plenty of scientific evidence to show that one diet is no better than the next when it comes to weight loss. It is how much you put in your mouth that affects your girth, hips and thighs. Source of the calories you consume is not important to your weight but it may affect your heart, your blood sugar level and your risk of developing cancer.

So, have a glass of red wine and be smart. The quality and quantity of what you eat is important. Too much alcohol will destroy you, your loved ones and other innocent bystanders. Do some physical activity daily and for heaven’s sake, do not smoke. And embrace Mediterranean diet warmly.

That is a simple recipe. Now start cooking, my friend.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!