History of Purple Carrots
The humble purple carrot is among the first cultivated carrots and dates back to 2000 BC. Its common orange relation- bred by the Dutch in honour of their national colour- is relatively modern by contrast.
The deep purple colour that gives the carrots their striking appearance has nutritional benefits as well, indicating the presence of anthocyanin antioxidants.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Organic Black Rice now on the Superfoods List
We all know the health benefits of eating brown rice but new research suggests that the exotic black rice may be healthier still, and it’s all because of the distinctive inky pigmentation in the bran.
Black Rice Super Nutrients
Like all wholegrain rice black rice is high in fibre and vitamin E, low in sugar and contains several important amino acids. On top of that its colour indicates an
Black Rice Super Nutrients
Like all wholegrain rice black rice is high in fibre and vitamin E, low in sugar and contains several important amino acids. On top of that its colour indicates an
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Sydney Organic Expo and Green Show
The Organic Expo & Green Show is celebrating it's 6th year in Sydney, and Wholefoods House will be there! This is the premier certified organic food and green lifestyle destination in the Oceania Pacific region. Green families looking for a great day out will love this (children under 12 are admitted free).
Here are some highlights from last year in Melbourne. One of our regulars, Kylie
Here are some highlights from last year in Melbourne. One of our regulars, Kylie
Thursday, July 15, 2010
What Is Organic Food Farming?
Organic food is grown by a system of agriculture that aims to balance productivity with low vulnerability to problems such as pest infestation and environmental degradation, and maintaining the quality of the land for future generations.
In practice this involves a farming system that avoids, or largely excludes, the use of synthetically compounded fertilisers, pesticides, growth regulators, livestock, feed additives and other harmful or potentially harmful substances. It includes the use of technologies such as crop rotations, mechanical cultivations and biological pest control; and fertiliser materials, such as legumes, crop residues, composted animal manures, green manures, other organic wastes and mineral bearing rocks. The intention is to encourage natural biological systems, linking soil, plants, animals, food, people and the environment.
Standards to achieve this are internationally recognised, and are assured through annual audits of all certified operators by an independent third party auditor. In Australia there are three main (govt. accredited) certifying organizations: N.A.S.A.A. (National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Aust), B.F.A. (Biological Farmers of Australia), & Bio Dynamic Research Institute (Demeter).
- Living soil is the basis of the organic farm. Management practices are designed to sustain soil health and fertility using natural organic materials.
- The concept is that vigorous plants resist insects, weeds and diseases better than those under stress due to repeated chemical applications.
- Encouragement of biodiversity by working with nature to create a diverse farm ecosystem, and optimal growing conditions.
- Use of natural methods of pest, disease and weed control. The field is a bug eat bug world, in which a "natural enemy complex" of predator and parasite insects keep pests in check.
- Pest infestations are seen as messengers of fields out of balance, rather than signals for chemical spray programs.
- Walking the fields to catch potential problems early, and substituting hand labour for chemical solutions.
- Enhancement of the landscape, wildlife and wildlife habitat, and low levels of environmental pollution.
- High standards of animal welfare.
- Prohibition of all genetically engineered food and products.
- Because the majority of the agricultural industry equates organic methods with assured losses in yields, an assumption that is untrue, the most difficult task these farmers face is not in growing, but in finding financing or direct markets for their crops.
Visit Wholefoods House for quality organic food Sydney.
In practice this involves a farming system that avoids, or largely excludes, the use of synthetically compounded fertilisers, pesticides, growth regulators, livestock, feed additives and other harmful or potentially harmful substances. It includes the use of technologies such as crop rotations, mechanical cultivations and biological pest control; and fertiliser materials, such as legumes, crop residues, composted animal manures, green manures, other organic wastes and mineral bearing rocks. The intention is to encourage natural biological systems, linking soil, plants, animals, food, people and the environment.
Standards to achieve this are internationally recognised, and are assured through annual audits of all certified operators by an independent third party auditor. In Australia there are three main (govt. accredited) certifying organizations: N.A.S.A.A. (National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Aust), B.F.A. (Biological Farmers of Australia), & Bio Dynamic Research Institute (Demeter).
- Living soil is the basis of the organic farm. Management practices are designed to sustain soil health and fertility using natural organic materials.
- The concept is that vigorous plants resist insects, weeds and diseases better than those under stress due to repeated chemical applications.
- Encouragement of biodiversity by working with nature to create a diverse farm ecosystem, and optimal growing conditions.
- Use of natural methods of pest, disease and weed control. The field is a bug eat bug world, in which a "natural enemy complex" of predator and parasite insects keep pests in check.
- Pest infestations are seen as messengers of fields out of balance, rather than signals for chemical spray programs.
- Walking the fields to catch potential problems early, and substituting hand labour for chemical solutions.
- Enhancement of the landscape, wildlife and wildlife habitat, and low levels of environmental pollution.
- High standards of animal welfare.
- Prohibition of all genetically engineered food and products.
- Because the majority of the agricultural industry equates organic methods with assured losses in yields, an assumption that is untrue, the most difficult task these farmers face is not in growing, but in finding financing or direct markets for their crops.
Visit Wholefoods House for quality organic food Sydney.
Organic Food: Is it More Nutritious?
Is organically grown food more nutritious?
This is not a simple question to answer. To start with, studies into the difference between organic foods and conventionally produce generally have not been comprehensive or sufficiently large to be readily applicable general populations. Secondly, is difficult to conduct and interpret agricultural research investigating nutrient content. Many factors that influence the nutrient content of plants, including sunlight, temperature and rainfall, vary from year to year. Storage and shipping can cause further changes in the nutrient content of a crop. For these reasons, it is difficult both to plan effective studies and to make sense of the results. This also makes it difficult to compare the results of different studies. Finally, a large proportion of the current scientific literature is outdated and was not performed according to modern standards. For example, it is common that older studies do not include a rigorous statistical analysis.
According to Dr Worthington (Alternative Therapies, 4, 1998, 58- 69), there are more than 30 studies comparing the nutrient content of organic crops and those produced conventionally with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In these studies, various individual nutrients in individual crops were compared, such as zinc in organic versus conventional carrots, or vitamin C in organic versus conventional broccoli. Overall, organic crops had an equal or higher nutrient content about 85% of the time. Over a number of nutrients in the crops that have been studied, the average organic crop has approximately 10-20 percent higher nutrient levels than a comparable conventional crop. In relation to toxic substances, there are not many studies except for nitrates, but it appears that on average, the organic crop has at least 10-20 percent less toxics.
While the data seems to be favourable for organics, there is simply too little data for most individual nutrients to say anything certain. Except for vitamin C, nitrates and protein quality, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that organic crops are superior to conventional.
There are known mechanisms and scientific explanations for the observed differences in nutrient levels. A portion of the difference is due to effects of fertiliser on soil dynamics and plant physiology. For example, the excessive quantities of nitrogen presented to the plant by chemical conventional fertilizers cause the plant to produce more nitrates, less vitamin C and a poorer quality protein. Similarly, conventional potassium fertilizers make soil magnesium less available to plants so that levels of this nutrient are lower in potassium fertilized plants.
In addition, pesticides and herbicides are known to affect plant composition. Herbicides are particularly nasty in that they kill plants by altering their production of key compounds, such as beta-carotene, tocopherols and amino acids, all of which have nutritional significance. Although food crops are not killed by herbicides, the nutritional composition of these crops may still be altered. For example, the few studies that examined the effects of herbicides on protein, all showed a decline in protein quality with herbicide usage.
While the nutrient content data is interesting, it does not shed light on issues surrounding the health of people and animals that consume organic or conventional crops:
Where does this leave us? One can see a pattern of better nutrient composition in organic food, better health in animals consuming organic food and the existence of known mechanisms explaining observed differences between organic and conventional crops. Biodynamic crops performed extremely well on the most important measure, the health of consumers. Whatever problems there may be with the quantity or quality of existing studies, the body of evidence, at a minimum, provides strong indications that organic crops are more nutritious.
Average difference in nutrient levels between biodynamic, organic and overall organic crops, compared to similar conventional crops
Biodynamic Organic Overall
Nutrient % difference % difference % difference
Vitamin C +47.6% +11.9% +22.7%
Iron +33.9% +15.6% +17.2%
Calcium +07.4% +38.4% +30.8%
Phosphorus +06.6% +14.3% +12.5%
Sodium +20.3% +19.3% +19.6%
Potassium +07.9% +16.2% +14.1%
Magnesium +13.2% +28.3% +24.4%
Beta-carotene +14.0% -09.2% -00.3%
Nitrates -49.8% -30.9% -33.9%
From a systematic literature review article entitled “Effect of Agricultural Methods on Nutritional Quality: A Comparison of Organic with Conventional Crops” by Dr. V. Worthington, which appeared in Alternative Therapies, Volume 4, 1998, pages 58-69.
This is not a simple question to answer. To start with, studies into the difference between organic foods and conventionally produce generally have not been comprehensive or sufficiently large to be readily applicable general populations. Secondly, is difficult to conduct and interpret agricultural research investigating nutrient content. Many factors that influence the nutrient content of plants, including sunlight, temperature and rainfall, vary from year to year. Storage and shipping can cause further changes in the nutrient content of a crop. For these reasons, it is difficult both to plan effective studies and to make sense of the results. This also makes it difficult to compare the results of different studies. Finally, a large proportion of the current scientific literature is outdated and was not performed according to modern standards. For example, it is common that older studies do not include a rigorous statistical analysis.
According to Dr Worthington (Alternative Therapies, 4, 1998, 58- 69), there are more than 30 studies comparing the nutrient content of organic crops and those produced conventionally with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In these studies, various individual nutrients in individual crops were compared, such as zinc in organic versus conventional carrots, or vitamin C in organic versus conventional broccoli. Overall, organic crops had an equal or higher nutrient content about 85% of the time. Over a number of nutrients in the crops that have been studied, the average organic crop has approximately 10-20 percent higher nutrient levels than a comparable conventional crop. In relation to toxic substances, there are not many studies except for nitrates, but it appears that on average, the organic crop has at least 10-20 percent less toxics.
While the data seems to be favourable for organics, there is simply too little data for most individual nutrients to say anything certain. Except for vitamin C, nitrates and protein quality, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that organic crops are superior to conventional.
There are known mechanisms and scientific explanations for the observed differences in nutrient levels. A portion of the difference is due to effects of fertiliser on soil dynamics and plant physiology. For example, the excessive quantities of nitrogen presented to the plant by chemical conventional fertilizers cause the plant to produce more nitrates, less vitamin C and a poorer quality protein. Similarly, conventional potassium fertilizers make soil magnesium less available to plants so that levels of this nutrient are lower in potassium fertilized plants.
In addition, pesticides and herbicides are known to affect plant composition. Herbicides are particularly nasty in that they kill plants by altering their production of key compounds, such as beta-carotene, tocopherols and amino acids, all of which have nutritional significance. Although food crops are not killed by herbicides, the nutritional composition of these crops may still be altered. For example, the few studies that examined the effects of herbicides on protein, all showed a decline in protein quality with herbicide usage.
While the nutrient content data is interesting, it does not shed light on issues surrounding the health of people and animals that consume organic or conventional crops:
There are 14 animal studies that have been performed over the last 70 years. In ten of these, the organically fed animals fared better; in one, the animals fed organic feed came in second among several chemically fertilized feeds; and three studies showed no difference. The positive effects are most striking in sick or otherwise vulnerable animals, such as newborns, and in sensitive areas of reproduction, such as sperm motility. It is particularly interesting to see that the fertility of animals fed fodder grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides declined over several generations. -Worthington, 1998
Where does this leave us? One can see a pattern of better nutrient composition in organic food, better health in animals consuming organic food and the existence of known mechanisms explaining observed differences between organic and conventional crops. Biodynamic crops performed extremely well on the most important measure, the health of consumers. Whatever problems there may be with the quantity or quality of existing studies, the body of evidence, at a minimum, provides strong indications that organic crops are more nutritious.
Average difference in nutrient levels between biodynamic, organic and overall organic crops, compared to similar conventional crops
Biodynamic Organic Overall
Nutrient % difference % difference % difference
Vitamin C +47.6% +11.9% +22.7%
Iron +33.9% +15.6% +17.2%
Calcium +07.4% +38.4% +30.8%
Phosphorus +06.6% +14.3% +12.5%
Sodium +20.3% +19.3% +19.6%
Potassium +07.9% +16.2% +14.1%
Magnesium +13.2% +28.3% +24.4%
Beta-carotene +14.0% -09.2% -00.3%
Nitrates -49.8% -30.9% -33.9%
From a systematic literature review article entitled “Effect of Agricultural Methods on Nutritional Quality: A Comparison of Organic with Conventional Crops” by Dr. V. Worthington, which appeared in Alternative Therapies, Volume 4, 1998, pages 58-69.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)